“STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS” TV SERIES EPISODE GUIDE (2008 – 2013) SEASON  ONE   MAIN  PRODUCTION  CREDITS   Produced by Catherine Winder Produced by Cary Silver (Season One- Episode 12 onwards/ Season Two) Supervising Director: Dave Filoni Story Editor/ Series Writer: Henry Gilroy Staff Writers (Season Two): Katie Lucas, Brian Larsen Created by and Executive Producer: George Lucas STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS made by LUCASFILM ANIMATION. Distributed worldwide by WARNER BROTHERS.

VOICE  CAST   Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano Catherine Taber as Padme Amidala Anthony Daniels as See-Threepio James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi / Plo Koon Dee Bradley Baker as the Clone Troopers Tom Kane as Yoda / Admiral Yularen / Narrator Nika Futterman as Asajj Ventress Corey Burton as Count Dooku Terrence "TC" Carson as Mace Windu

Ian Abercrombie as Chancellor Palpatine Tim Brock as the medical droid/various voices Matthew Wood as General Grievous / battle droids Olivia D’Abo as Luminara Unduli Gwendoline Yeo as Nala Se (Kaminoan) Tom Kenny as Nute Gunray Phil Lamarr as Kit Fisto Jennifer Hale as Aayla Secura James Mathis III as Captain Typho Phil Lamarr as Bail Organa

   

NOTABLE  GUEST  VOICE  ARTISTS   Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks (Series One-1 episode- BOMBAD JEDI) BJ Hughes as Jar Jar Binks (Series One- 3 episodes-THE GUNGAN GENERAL, BLUE SHADOW VIRUS and MYSTERY OF A THOUSAND MOONS) Ron Perlman as Gha Nachkt (Series One-2 episodes-DOWNFALL OF A DROID and DUEL OF THE DROIDS) George Takei as Lok Durd (Series One-1 episode-DEFENDERS OF PEACE) Michael York as Doctor Nuvo Vidni (Season One-2 episodes-BLUE SHADOW VIRUS and MYSTERY OF A THOUSAND MOONS)

SEASON ONE UNAIRED EPISODE ONE (Production OrderNumber One): CASTLE OF DECEPTION Written by Henry Gilroy Directed by Dave Filoni

STORY: On her first mission as Padawan to Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano accompanies him and a Clone strike force to rescue Rotta the Huttlet, the son of Jabba the Hutt, from mysterious kidnappers based high within an abandoned mountain monastery on the planet Teth, and deliver him back to Tatooine. Pretty soon, after an incredible and demanding upscale battle, Ahsoka Tano realises that things aren't going to be quite so easy in her relationship with her new master.

UNAIRED EPISODE TWO (Production Order – Number Three): CASTLE OF DOOM Written by Steven Melching (Additional dialogue by Tracy Bern, Tim Burns, Bernice Vanderlaan) Director: George Roman Samilski STORY: Anakin and Ahsoka battle a Vulture Droid in their escape from the Teth monastery. Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives with reenforcements and duels with Asajj Ventress.

UNAIRED EPISODE THREE (Production OrderNumber Four): CASTLE OF SALVATION Written by Henry Gilroy (Additional dialogue by Tracy Bern, Tim Burns, Steven Melching, Bernice Vanderlaan) Directed by Dave Filoni STORY: Anakin and Ahsoka crash-land on Tatooine, while Padme undertakes her own investigation into the Hutt kindnapping plot, which leads to Ziro the Hutt.

UNAIRED EPISODE FOUR (Production OrderNumber Eighteen): THE NEW PADAWAN Writer: Scott Murphy Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell

STORY: Cut of Christophsis, Anakin and Obi-Wan welcome a youngling messenger, Ahsoka Tano, who turns out to be Anakin’s new Padawan learner.

(NOTE: THESE FOUR EPISODES WERE NEVER AIRED-STORY ELEMENTS EXPANDED TO BECOME "THE CLONE WARS" THEATRICAL MOVIE, RELEASED WORLDWIDE- AUGUST 2008) EPISODE ONE: AMBUSH Written by Steve Melching Directed by Dave Bullock UK TRANSMISSION DATE: OCTOBER 25TH 2008 (SKY MOVIES PREMIERE) AUDIENCE RATING: 290,000 (FIRST SCREENING), 64,000 (FIRST REPEAT) US TRANSMISSION DATE: OCTOBER 3RD 2008 (CARTOON NETWORK) MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 8 STORY: Jedi Master Yoda is on a secret mission to forge a treaty with the King of the strategic system of Toydaria when his ship is ambushed by Count Dooku’s forces. Yoda and three Clone Troopers must face off against Count Dooku’s dreaded assassin Asajj Ventress and her massive droid force to prove that the Jedi are strong enough to ally and protect the king and his people from the forces of the Separatists. NOTE: This episode was repeated as the fans favourite Season One episode on CARTOON NETWORK U.S. on Friday February 19th 2009 AFICIONADO REVIEW: A terrific first episode start to the series-you couldn’t have got a more different episode to what was seen in the pilot, yet both are a strong representation of the series. The story and

characterizations for AMBUSH are strong and consistent with the live action STAR WARS universe, and Yoda, sadly missing from much of the main feature film, is at his best here-confident and at one in the Force, yet also showing great humour-he’s a little Tasmanian Devil in the action scenes. Our favourite little green hero also has a terrific, warm-hearted scene in which he talks to the Clone Troopers in a cave, which is a perfect STAR WARS moment. Also, top marks for the visual beauty of the Toydarian planet locale and its people, and the nice nods by composer Kevin Kiner to John Williams’s themes. The series is truly up and running quality wise from the get-go. AFICIONADO RATING: 5 out of 5

EPISODE TWO: RISING MALEVOLENCE Writer: Steve Melching Director: Dave Filoni. UK TRANSMISSION DATE: OCTOBER 25TH 2008 (SKY MOVIES PREMIERE) AUDIENCE RATING: 252,000 (FIRST SCREENING), 74,000 (FIRST REPEAT SCREENING) US TRANSMISSION DATE: OCTOBER 3RD 2008 (CARTOON NETWORK) MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 7 STORY: Creating panic throughout the galaxy, a devastating Separatist mystery weapon, the Malevolence, captained by General Grievous, terrorizes the Clone star fleet. Anakin and Ahsoka race to save the lives of Jedi Master Plo Koon and a small party of Clone Troopers, who have just survived their fleet’s destruction by the Malevolence’s new Ion Cannon weapon. AFICIONADO REVIEW: Another superlative episode-darker in nature than AMBUSH, RISING MALEVOLENCE is an epic space adventure, which showcases such great Prequel characters as General Grievous (Matthew Wood returns for more Transylvanian sounding nastiness. Yaayy!!) and Jedi master Plo Koon (nice to know what he finally sounds like-he’s British!!) alongside his Clone troopers (their character evolution continues to impress). There’s also some very nice nods to the Classic Trilogy (especially STAR WARS and EMPIRE) and the space sequence where the Battle Droids start killing the Republic survivors in

the debris field I found hauntingly disturbing, especially in it’s kids audience slot-kudos to them for being brave like that. Again, the production design continues to impress-the Malevolence, an unused ship production design from EPISODE III, looks terrific on screen and I loved the almost JAWS like theme and huge nasty sound effects that accompanies it’s flight through the Republic vessel debris field. A thrilling episode… and it’s only the first part!! AFICIONADO RATING: 5 out of 5

EPISODE THREE: SHADOW OF MALEVOLENCE Writer: Steve Melching Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell UK TRANSMISSION DATE: 1ST NOVEMBER 2008 (SKY PREMIERE) AUDIENCE RATING: 227,000 (FIRST SCREENING), 76,000 (FOLLOWING MONDAY REPEAT SCREENING) US TRANSMISSION DATE: 10TH OCTOBER 2008 (CARTOON NETWORK) MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 9 STORY: Having rescued Master Plo Koon and his survivors, Anakin and Ahsoka lead a squadron of Y-wing fighters on a dangerous race against time mission to destroy the Malevolence before it can obliterate a medical space station carrying wounded Clone Troopers. But first, the Jedi and his pilots must navigate through the treacherous, highly dangerous, Balmorra Run... NOTES: In the UK, SKY TELEVISION was supposed to have showed a trailer for episode four after three's transmission-instead they played a trailer for episode three!! AFICIONADO REVIEW: The amazing quality of this series continues, and this episode brings new levels of adventure and escapism, as well as the terrific sight of Shadow Squadron Y-wing fighters going into battle for the first time in the TV series. Against a backdrop of lovely little nods to A NEW HOPE’s DEATH STAR battle we also have a wonderfully imaginative and evocative sequence set in the Balmorra

Run region of space, where Ralph McQuarrie’s air whales finally get a chance to live and breath in a revised appearance after their original 1977/78 conceptualization for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Let’s also not forget the welcome sight of the Kaminoans in this new episode and, on the characterization front, we get to find out a bit more about Ahsoka-that she was taught some of her Jedi skills by Plo Koon and that she has strong ties of loyalty to him. It’s also great to see Anakin back in such heroic action, behind a fighter cockpit, too-a sign of more to come!!

It all just keeps getting better. AFICIONADO RATING: 5 out of 5

EPISODE FOUR: DESTROY MALEVOLENCE Written by Tim Burns Directed by Brian Kalin O’Connell MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 11 UK ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION: 8TH NOVEMBER 2008 (SKY MOVIES PREMIERE) AUDIENCE RATING: 208,000 (FIRST SCREENING), 48,000 (TUESDAY REPEAT SCREENING) US ORIGINAL US TRANSMISISON: 17TH OCTOBER 2008 (CARTOON NETWORK) STORY: With the Malevolence damaged and on the run, the Republic forces led by Obi-Wan Kenobi now pursuing it are forced to stop their attack when Padme Amidala’s ship unexpectedly enters the war zone and is captured by General Grievous. As Padme and Threepio hide within the enemy ships labyrinth corridors, Anakin and Obi-Wan mount a daring rescue mission that will ultimately conclude with the Malevolence’s fiery destruction into a nearby asteroid moon. Having failed Count Dooku, the evil General Grievous once more makes a cowardly escape...

AFICIONADO REVIEW: Perhaps a little bit of an anti climax after last weeks thrilling episode, DESTROY MALEVOLENCE’s story was still a terrific, enjoyable episode nonetheless, and miles better than pretty much most live action things on television, so we’ll forgive them for that. I personally would have liked to have seen the Malevolence blow up at the hands of Anakin and Obi-Wan in a more spectacular fashion rather than just Anakin doing a bit of creative re-wiring on it that leads it crashing into the moon, especially after the huge, epic battle Anakin and his forces had been through against the mighty enemy ship in the previous episode-it’s a shame that this episode couldn’t have been replotted so that this had been the middle episode of the story. It was great to see Padme and Threepio back in the show, though, after their limited screen time in the movie-and to see our fave Senator back in scenes directly with Anakin where their relationship can be further developed. Equally so, STAR WARS isn’t STAR WARS without the voice of Anthony Daniels, and it’s always a joy to see the character and Artoo back together, too. The physical action of this episode is well handled-fluid, exciting and memorable (I loved the brief encounter between Obi-Wan and Grievous (“Hello there!”), and the goodbye gesture the former gives the latter on the moving transport carpriceless!!)- also good is the continuity-if Anakin had encountered Grievous before EPISODE III I would have been disappointedfortunately this does not happen. Despite the mild demise of the Malevolence, that closing shot with all our heroes re-united on the Twilight was a perfect episode end. So, all in all, not the most satisfying ending to the story arc, but another fun episode, and a great addition to the continuing series roster. AFICONADO RATING: 4 out of 5

EPISODE FIVE: ROOKIES Written by Steve Melching Directed by Justin Ridge MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 14 UK TRANSMISSION DATE: 15TH NOVEMBER (SKY PREMIERE) AUDIENCE RATING: 69,000 (FIRST SCREENING)

US TRANSMISSION DATE: 24TH OCTOBER 2008 (CARTOON NETWORK) STORY: On a lonely tracking station outpost on the Rishi moon, a group of raw Clone Trooper recruits-nick-named “Shinys”- soon join forces with battle stalwarts Captain Rex and Commander Cody to stop the invasion attempts of a Separatist assault force against their home world of Kamino. AFICIONADO REVIEW: Another outstanding episode in the series and one that will be sure to delight all fans of the Clone Troopers and the 501st-you can wear your uniforms with pride watching this episode!! I have to say the character development of the soldiers is very good and I like the individuality of the “Shiny’s” on the outpost. And Captain Rex? Well, he’s starting to become the Clint Eastwood/ Dirty Harry of the series with both his one-liners and his fighting abilities (loved that “Roger, Roger!!” moment of his). Some very nice direction and production art also make this a winner-I liked the way the Republic outpost had the DEATH STAR-like lighting and corridors. I also greatly enjoyed the look of the new battle droid commandos, though I wish they had remained more silent and more deadly-it was a shame that, with their upgrading, they couldn’t have been a little bit smarter. And let’s hear it for that worm creature, too!! I liked that-another nod to THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, perhaps? Though the Clones steal all the scenes they are in (another great gem was where Rex holds up the dead droids head to the RETURN OF THE JEDI type communicator/visual aid), there was also some nice little interplay in the brief scenes the episode had between Obi-Wan and Anakin on their command cruiser, and General Grievous is always great to see as a baddie. AFICIONADO RATING: 4.5 out of 5

EPISODE SIX: DOWNFALL OF A DROID Writer: George Krstic Director: Rob Coleman MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 2 (technically, this is the first episode to be made for the series as the first story was expanded into THE

CLONE WARS movie) UK TRANSMISSION DATE: 22ND NOVEMBER 2008 (SKY PREMIERE) US TRANSMISSION DATE: 7TH NOVEMBER 2008 (CARTOON NETWORK) STORY: With the Separatists gaining ground in their attempts to control the Outer Rim, Anakin launches a do-or-die battle against General Grievous’s forces in an asteroid field. The battle is fierce and the price is high, as Anakin mourns the loss of Artoo Detoo, who has now joined the list of those missing in action. Equally disturbed by this news is Obi-Wan Kenobi-not by the droids loss (“They are a dime a dozen,” he says quite coldly), but by the fact that Anakin did not have it’s memory purged and that the information it still contains on vital Republic attack strategies could serious compromise them. Whilst Anakin fails to get used to his unstable new R3 unit, he and Ahsoka hunt for the missing Artoo, where their journey takes them to an unscrupulous junk dealer named Gha Nachkt. NOTES: At the end of the episode, instead of showing a trailer for DUEL OF THE DROIDS, SKY showed one for AMBUSH!! AFICIONADO REVIEW: This story marks the welcome return to the STAR WARS universe by Rob Coleman-I was worried that after all the amazing work he did with the cgi characters on the Prequels that Lucas had sidelined him for the new series-putting him in charge of the LUCASFILM animation gig in Singapore was all very well but we wanted to see him properly immersed in this new universe. Now he has that chance and the results are most impressive. Great work, Rob!! This episode is very nicely directed and has a good pace-yet another classic story so quickly-and any episode that has Artoo-the Saga’s true hero anyway (that’s what Lucas has always said!!)- heavily involved in it was always going to be a fan favourite. It’s so nice to see the differing styles and nuances being introduced to the show by the various writers and directors, even at this early stage. And speaking of the droid, Artoo is as resourceful and lovable as everhis reluctance to wear restraining bolts a highlight, as was the moment where he jettisons the assassin droid. It’s also good to see how much Anakin relies on him and how he misses his companion when he’s believed dead. Though, I think there is something fishy with that new R3 droid!!! DOWNFALL has many other terrific moments-again there are nice references to other STAR WARS films (even the Faleen from SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE get a mention!!) and that opening space

battle was terrific with the AT-AT’s on the asteroids and Anakin’s brief but exiting chase of General Grievous. And let’s not forget Ron Perlman, who brings some nice vocal touches to the soon to re-appear character of Gha Nachkt. Adding flavour to the episode, Kevin Kiner’s music score is something you’ll either love or hate-this is much closer to his experimental work on the movie-though I don’t think Klaus Badelt will be happy with his Dracula theme being used for the battle with General Grievous at the beginning (perhaps it had been used as a temp track in PostProduction and everyone liked it enough to see it used in the final episode!!), though the Transylvanian connection between the pair is quite obvious.. Intriguingly, on the animation front, its easy to see that this episode was the second to be made-there are times watching it when the animation doesn’t seem to have the same kind of depth, especially at times on the faces of Anakin and Ahsoka, as there would be by the time of later episodes. This quibble, however, is a very small flaw in an otherwise excellent, highly enjoyable episode. AFICIONADO RATING: Another terrific episode that feels like STAR WARS. And what makes it even better as a fan and an audience member was discovering by its end that this was only the first part of an ongoing story. The search for Artoo continues…5 out of 5

EPISODE SEVEN: DUEL OF THE DROIDS Writers: Kevin Campbell and Henry Gilroy Director: Rob Coleman MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 6 UK TRANSMISSION DATE: 29TH NOVEMBER 2008 (SKY PREMIERE) US TRANSMISSION DATE: 14TH NOVEMBER 2008 (CARTOON NETWORK) STORYLINE: On the hunt for a secret Separatist listening station, Anakin and Ahsoka discover both it and a distress signal from Artoo on

the cloud-covered moon of Ruusan. With the little droid now being taken apart, Grievous, having killed Gha Nachkt, is determined to have the Republic plans removed from his shell. As Anakin and Ahsoka, alongside Rex and his Clone Troopers, mount a daring rescue/destroy mission against the enemy Skytop Station, they are unaware that there is a traitor in their midst. Can Artoo be saved in time, and can he stop the dangerous Separatist collaborator before it can kill his friends? AFICIONADO REVIEW: Stunning, absolutely stunning. It’s so rare to get episodic TV shows with two part episodes that stay consistently good-most times the second part very rarely matches the quality and excitement of the first’s set-up. There’s always some hurdles or disappointment, but when it comes to STAR WARS, once again the rule book doesn’t apply and is quite often chucked out the window!! DUEL OF THE DROIDS is a smashing conclusion to DOWNFALL OF A DROID, and Rob Coleman delivers a winning finale. The story, the pace, the direction (again, really wonderful job, Mister Coleman!!), the characters (some lovely bits for everyone, including Artoo in even bolder heroics, Grievous (nastier than ever-it was a shocking sight seeing Artoo being dis-assembled on that mortuary slab!!) and Anakin (determined to save his friend and continuing to bend the rules to suit him: loved that scene- “You have something that belongs to me!!”)), and the action (and what majorly superb action it was, too!! Where to start: the James Bond-esque sky-diving (with good old Ahsoka leading the charge!!), Anakin fighting the droids, and the crowd pleasing match we’ve been waiting for- Grievous versus Ahsoka (could have been longer, and she got out of it a little too easily, perhaps, but I’m sure they’ll be a re-match at some point!!!), and Artoo kicking that Goldie R-3’s butt (with just a little hint of Anakin’s dark side tendencies rubbing off on the droid as he chooses to cut the cord on his opponent). The only downside on the action stakes was that we didn’t get to see more of the Clone Troopers in action in the second half, but hey, there’s still more to come on them). Hell, even the battle droids comedy wasn’t too bad in this, either. Only one slight disappointment and that’s the fact that Ron Perlman’s Gha Nachkt demise was done well but both too quickly and too early in the series run- I think there could have been some more mileage in the character-and he would have made an interesting continuing foil to Grievous. Ah well… DUEL OF THE DROIDS was one of the best fusions of STAR WARS you can get. At times, I felt I was watching real characters-a sure sign that

the behind the scenes people are giving their best and the mark of a good animation series. This episode was an incredible success for me and I hope everyone else watching joins me in seeing the fact that the bar on the series is getting ever higher-I just don’t know how the live action vision is going to top it. C’mon George, lets have a Classic Trilogy animation series as well. Please, please, please… AFICONADO RATING: One of the finest action-orientated episodes of the series so far. If I could change the law of mathematical calculation I’d give it six out of five. 5 out of 5

EPISODE EIGHT: BOMBAD JEDI Writer: Kevin Rubio, Henry Gilroy, Steven Melching Director: Jessie Yeh US TRANSMISSION DATE: November 21st 2008 (CARTOON NETWORK) UK TRANSMISSION DATE: December 6TH 2008 (SKY PREMIERE) MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 5 NOTES: IN THE US, THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY’S EPISODES CONSIST OF THE THREE-PART MALEVOLENCE SAGA. CLOAK OF DARKNESS AIRS THE WEEK AFTER THE THANKSGIVING BREAK ON DECEMBER 5TH 2008.

IN THE UK, SKY TV'S PROMOTIONS FOR THIS EPISODE CONSISTED OF THE WRONG CLIPS-MAINLY FROM EPISODE ONE: AMBUSH!!! STORYLINE: When Padme is captured whilst on a mercy mission to Rodia, it’s up to See- Threepio and Naboo representative Jar Jar Binks to rescue her. A problem shared is a problem halved they used to saynot when Jar Jar is involved, and certainly not when he’s accidentally mistaken for being a Jedi Knight!! AFICIONADO REVIEW: After the excitement and visual grandness of the Malevolence sagas and the two part rescue of Artoo, BOMBAD JEDI is an eminently enjoyable and highly diverting episode acting almost

as a nice mid point breath of fresh air before the series starts to become very dark and serious in its second half. To get away from Anakin and Ahsoka for an episode or two and find out more about what’s happening to other Outer Rim worlds during the war. Love him or loathe him, Jar Jar Binks returns to the STAR WARS sagapretty much ignored from EPISODE III’s darker tone, and his ultimate fate in the saga still not really pinned down, it’s nice to have Jar Jar back for more unintentional bravery and fool hardiness. This time, however, his comic escapades work fare better in the animated medium and he soon re-establishes himself as a firm favourite for the kiddies and selected adults (I personally have never had a major problem with the character-perhaps because he always reminded me of my much missed dog and the way she sometimes acted). Not every Adult may enjoy seeing him as much but Ahmed Best’s vocal return, including his two excellent contributions to ROBOT CHICKEN recently, is most welcome in my book. The story is nicely paced and structured, and the pairing of Threepio with the gangly Gungan is well handled. It’s a shame we never saw them team up like that in the live action sense (though that is something that I doubt Anthony Daniels would have pushed for!!). Even with the comedy there's still the significant action adventure elements we all love. And then of course, there’s Padme-despite Jar Jar being the star, she is once again a great stand out character in the series and Catherine Taber continues to do a brilliant job of bringing the character to life and matching the performance of Natalie Portman. Visually, it’s also great to see the character back to being at her best-whether it’s in the role of diplomatic envoy or as battle droid blasting super babe!!! Kevin (TROOPS) Rubio’s script is very playful-a wording I think being apt for the whole story in general. Light and playful. There’s also some nice dialogue (loved the Padme/ Threepio exchange when the former asks what happened to their ship!!). Some nice visual comedy moments also make this episode a confident winner (I loved Jar Jar being mistaken for the Jedi, his destroying Padme’s ship and his riding of the Rodian sea creature- Fantastic seeing McQuarrie’s unused EMPIRE Dagobah slug being adapted for Rodia!!). One of the key pleasures of this new series (both this and hopefully the live action series to come) is developing the backstory and the supporting characters and alien worlds/civilizations we’ve always wanted to discover more about. This time, it’s the turn of the Rodians as we find out a little bit more about the amphibians and observations as to why they are what they are-they have been kind of treated as an

inferior member of the Republic and you can see how someone like Greedo, as a member of that race, even though he was raised on Tatooine, may have had a chip on his shoulder in his later years. The Rodian civilization is also rendered beautifully, too-another of those “I wonder what their world looks like?” queries from the fans over the years once more skillfully answered by the LUCASFILM art teams. The grand heroics of the story’s finale ends with a nice tie into the next episode- CLOAK OF DARKNESS. Finally, Nute Gunray, introduced for the first time in the series, has been captured. But for how long? AFICIONADO RATING: A welcome little treat that ticks all the right boxes for family entertainment in the STAR WARS saga-a fun, oddball episode for the oddball quirky character of Jar Jar. Not an instant classic, perhaps, but certainly far better than anyone ever thought it would be. In time, I think BOMBAD JEDI’s popularity as a story will continue to grow. It may not totally heal the wounds die-hard fans feel they have suffered with his introduction in the Prequel Trilogy but it may help in the healing process if the character appears in more episodes as good as this one. As for me, well, it’s nice to have you back Jar Jar!! 4 out of 5

EPISODE NINE: CLOAK OF DARKNESS Writer: Paul Dini Director: Dave Filoni MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 10 FIRST US TRANSMISSION: 5th DECEMBER 2008 (CARTOON NETWORK) FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: 13TH DECEMBER 2008 (SKY PREMIERE) STORY: As Jedi Master Luminara Unduil and Padawan Ahsoka Tano begin the journey of escorting the captured Nute Gunray back to the Republic for war crimes trial, Count Dooku sends Asajj Ventress out to take back the Neimoidian-a mission she has to succeed in if she is to survive. As her vicious boarding action begins, and the Jedi and Clone Commander Greel give their all to repel the assassin, are there conspirators aboard the Republic ship willing to aid the Sith cause?

AFICONADO REVIEW: Having been a great fan of his work in the animation medium and especially for his amazing work on the first season of Warner Brothers 1990’s version of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, my discovering that Paul Dini (who was also a consultant on LOST ‘s first two seasons by the way, too!!) was writing this episode was a thrill to read on STARWARS.COM. CLOAK OF DARKNESS, with its obvious Sith connotations and more adult theme was perfect material for Dini to bring to life. Though the episode’s plot may have been a little thinner than I thought it would be, Dini brought lots of good dialogue to the main characters (especially Nute Gunray’s constant worming about!!) and succeeded admirably in the plotting of the various adventure beats throughout the installment-let’s hope he has the chance to flex his skills on a two part episode in the near future. Once again, Dave Filoni is back in the director’s chair-HOORAY!!complimenting Dini’s adept plotting and bringing the same kind of strength to this episode that he did for RISING MALEVOLENCE. Luminara Unduli finally gets some well deserved attention in the series after so little screen time in the films, and the transformation of actress Mary Oyaya’s face to the animation medium is superb, with English voice artist Olivia D’Abo (sister of Bond girl Maryam) doing a very good job in bringing the character to life. On the opposite side of the Force, this episode also showcases the villainous Ventress in all her cunning and agile glory, with her match against Unduli and Ahsoka, against a fiery engine core backdrop (not too dis-similar to the hells of Mustafar in EPISODE III) well worth the price of admission. On the support side, all those BUFFY/STAR WARS fans must have been in pure heaven when they heard that James (SPIKE) Marsters would be providing the silky, confident voice of the loyal (?) Captain Argyus. Marsters does a very good job here, making us think, at least for a brief period, that we can trust him. The Republic Commandoes are nicely presented and it’s good to see them in action after their very brief appearance as background in Palpatine’s office for the first CLONE WARS movie. And just when will evil co-conspirators learn not to turn their backs on the Sith!! Other nice little moments include the return of Commander Gree, the look of the Republic Cruisers detention block (a lovely nod to the DEATH STAR designs from STAR WARS), and a fully functioning Treadmill droid, thrown in too!! AFICIONADO RATING: It may have been a little lightweight as a story, but, all in all, it was yet another great, action packed installment. 4

out of 5.

EPISODE TEN: LAIR OF GRIEVOUS Writer: Henry Gilroy Director: Atsushi Takeuchi MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 12 FIRST US TRANSMISSION: 12TH DECEMBER 2008 (CARTOON NETWORK) This is the last episode before the Xmas break. FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: 20TH DECEMBER 2008 (SKY PREMIERE) This is the last episode before the Xmas break. NOTE: The end titles of this episode have a different musical arrangement of Kevin Kiner's MAIN THEME interpretation. STORY: Re-united with his ex-Padawan, the Mon Calamarian Nahdar Vebb, Jedi Master Kit Fisto and a Republic force arrive on the third moon of the Vassek system, having believed they’ve found a safe house for the recently escaped Nute Gunray. Penetrating their locations fog shrouded aura, the group soon find themselves caught in a trap orchestrated by Count Dooku to test the Separatist droid leader General Grievous’s dedication and abilities after his recent failures against the Jedi. The previously undiscovered lair of Grievous holds many mysteries, linked with deadly traps and dangers for our heroes to face-eventually leading their dwindling numbers to the final deadly encounter with the dreaded Jedi killer himself. Hungry for retribution for the death of his loyal soldiers, can the willful and determined Nahdar resist the urge to fight Grievous on his own? AFICIONADO REVIEW: “It’s ooky and it’s spooky. The house is a museum when people come to see ‘em. The lair of Gri-ev-ous. Click click!!” STAR WARS enters the realms of gothic adventure with this highly anticipated episode, of which a large chunk was shown previously to excited fans at CELEBRATION JAPAN, who would have seen it at the best quality you could get-on a huge screen and with amazing sound!!

Acclaimed director Atsushi Takeuchi brings a terrific, mysterious style to the episode as Dracula…sorry Grievous’s castle appears out of the mist full of doomladen dread and terror. There’s also a touch of the FRANKENSTEIN monster about Grievous himself as we see all the ghoulish droid exo battle suit armour skeletons and the moment where he’s under the knife on the operating table. Add a bit of ALIEN’ish corridor-ish atmosphere thrown in for good measure amidst plenty of other nice little surprises in store continuity and excitement-wise, of which, despite the fact that the episode can’t really go too far storywise (we know that Fisto will escape death until EPISODE III), Henry Gilroy must have really enjoyed bringing such a differing style story together- his script showcases the General with some excellent dialogue (Matthew Wood must be relishing his Transylvanian accent!), whilst keeping the action and scares effectively plotted. Gilroy must be on Cloud Nine in what is obviously one of the best creative jobs you could ever have on this planet!! Like the whole episode, Grievous’s castle was well realized- a real chamber of horrors with a gothic style that would make H.P. Lovecraft smile with glee. There was also the excellent aforementioned exoskeleton lair, the historical statues of the pre-cyborg Grievous and his beloved pet Gor-who looked like something that would have challenged WETA digital from their LORD OF THE RINGS creations. Phil Lamarr brings great character and warmth to fan favourite Kit Fisto-the slight Jamaican edge to the voice is fun and feels right and its also nice to find out more about the character and his history-that he has a loyal droid and that he had an ex- Padawan-the ultimately tragic Mon Calamarian, Nahder Vebb, who sadly turns out to be too inexperienced and shows the audience that not all the Jedi will ultimately succeed in their duties within the order. His death at the hands of Grievous, in another disturbing underhanded way that only the Droid General could come up with, is well played, as is the enemy’s final fog shrouded duel with his Magnaguards against Fisto, all excellently choreographed, with neat slick moves and angles that only an expert director like Atsushi could have brought to it-loved that sequence early on where Kit and the gang decapitate Grievous who escapes in a creepy crawly manner not unlike the duel with Kenobi in EPISODE III. The loyal and equally creepy droid doctor for Grievous is also worthy of note-another excellent supporting addition to THE CLONE WARS animated universe, coming across as a hybrid of servant Renfield from DRACULA touched with a nastier Niles Crane from FRASIER!!

With LAIR OF GRIEVOUS, it’s nice to have these darker edged stories from time to time, and has once more set a high bench-mark for the series writers and directors. AFICIONADO RATING: A scary episode best watched in the dark with the curtains drawn. A true show piece for THE CLONE WARS series. Well done. 5 out of 5.

EPISODE ELEVEN: DOOKU CAPTURED Writer: Julie Siege (from a story by George Lucas) Director: Jesse Yeh MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 16 FIRST US TRANSMISSION (CARTOON NETWORK) JANUARY 2ND 2009 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION (SKY PREMIERE) JANUARY 3RD 2009 STORY: A cunning plan hatched by Obi-Wan and Anakin to finally capture the elusive Count Dooku misfires badly when the Sith Lord is instead found and held for ransom by a motley band of Weequay pirates on the planet Florrum. As the Galactic Republic prepares to pay the hefty ransom cost for Dooku in one million quantities of spice, an un-armed Anakin and Obi-Wan, having escaped one of the Count’s earlier traps on the rock world of Vanqor, arrive on Florrum to meet Pirate Chief Hondo Ohnaka and confirm that their enemy has indeed been apprehended. But will the prisoner’s delivery to the Republic go according to plan? AFICIONADO REVIEW: A light hearted STAR WARS meets PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN type start to this two part story, with the always popular race of almost mummified looking Weequay creatures being heavily showcased as running a smuggling band that have apprehended Dooku: these guys are clearly not a race you want to mess with, but there’s also more of an opportunity in showing some of the same clever/comedy traits that embellished Captain Jack Sparrow’s men in that other highly popular, more down to Earth trilogy. It’s a nicely rendered episode and has, whether you like it or not (I do!!!), George Lucas’s touch all over it, even down to some of the 1950’s B-movie elements that Lucas likes so much when he

conceived this episode’s original storyline-the Weequay spaceship looks like it had come off the skies of the Ray Harryhausen movie EARTH VERSUS THE FLYING SAUCERS. There’s also a nice effort made in this first part in satisfactorily bringing pretty much all of the main characters of the show into the adventure. And some other nice bridging Trilogies moments, too, like the re-appearances of several Cantina aliens from STAR WARS, the Jawa’s return, and, one of the episode’s big highlights for me, as we finally discover, after nearly thirty years, just what a Gundark looks like!! And it ain’t pretty!! Added to all that, there’s more EPISODE II links, including Anakin losing his saber yet again and Dooku being confined in a manner similar to what he previously did to Obi-Wan on Geonosis. Oh, and let’s not forget the Classic Trilogy similarities of Anakin chasing Dooku through vent tunnels (like the Bespin one the injured Luke descended in Bespin, only he didn’t have Dooku firing electrical bolts in front of him!!) And then there’s that cheeky Kowakian Monkey Lizard thrown in for good measure!!! Just as treacherous and conniving as a certain Salacious B. Crumb to follow him!! As for the star of the episode himself, Corey Burton gives, as ever, an excellent vocal performance as Dooku, a character who successfully eludes the Jedi and thwarts their plans but soon finds himself in an unexpected situation from a new enemy. Always on the lookout for an opportunity to strike back against his Jedi/Republic enemies, the everadaptable Dooku always seems to find a way to turn the tide and bounce back. Though, as part two’s US trailer shows, bitter enemies may have to work together if they are to survive… On the few negatives for this episode, some bits of the dialogue/ banter between Anakin and Obi-Wan feel a little bit forced, but in action they are always great together, and I loved the episode’s final scene where they shared some comedy camaraderie over their switching of their poisoned drinks. AFICIONADO RATING: After the gloom and danger of LAIR OF GRIEVOUS, this is a more fun and light hearted adventure romp than we’ve seen before, even compared to this season’s earlier episodes. Not the greatest story, I’m sure you’ll agree, but playful in heart, and still terrific family entertainment, with what looks like a terrific part two yet to come. 4 out of 5

EPISODE TWELVE: THE GUNGAN GENERAL

Writer: Julie Siege Director: Justin Ridge MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 20 FIRST US TRANSMISSION: (CARTOON NETWORK) 9TH JANUARY 2009 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: (SKY PREMIERE) 10TH JANUARY 2009 NOTE: Catherine Taber is credited as voicing Padme for this episode, yet the character only appears fleetingly in the background, and without dialogue, in one scene. Perhaps her moments were cut from the episode for timing reasons? STORY: As the Republic representatives arrive on Florrum they are ambushed by the men of Weequay Pirate lieutenant Turk-who is determined to have the spice for himself and usurp his boss. Meanwhile, Anakin and Obi-Wan have been imprisoned by Hondo Ohnaka, and, their fates bound with Count Dooku, they plan an escape. Can the crash-landed Jar Jar Binks and his surviving Clone Commando escorts arrive in time to help? AFICIONADO REVIEW: After the promising first episode, THE GUNGAN GENERAL sadly doesn’t quite finish the story in a manner that I found totally satisfying. For a start, I was amazed that the combined power of three of the most accomplished Jedi couldn’t get out of their meager confinement successfully (unless Anakin and Obi-Wan were deliberately holding back and wanted to keep an eye on Dooku (if that was the case, then somewhere along the line it should have been explained), but then, with someone so powerful as Dooku, I can’t believe he just couldn’t have escaped on his own from the outset anyway!! These Weequay’s would not have been a test of his mettle!!). Despite better dialogue for the main characters, it looked abundantly clear to me that plot and character logic seemed to go out the window in this episode- for starters, at the end of DOOKU CAPTURED Obi-Wan and Anakin had playfully avoided being drugged by the pirates yet at the start of this episode they are suddenly imprisoned because they had still drunk drugged booze??!! Someone please explain how that happened??- just to make way for some crowd pleasing fun moments and wouldn’t it be great if we did this scenarios (I assume that the bonding of the two Jedi and Sith was a homage/nod to the Tony Curtis/ Sidney Poitier movie classic THE DEFIANT ONES). Thankfully, the secondary plot with the ransom

delivery proves to be the best part of the episode overall, with the nasty Weequay, Turk (well voiced by British actor Greg Ellis (or PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN fame, and soon to be seen in the new STAR TREK movie)), deciding, in best pirate tradition, to double cross his boss, resulting in the crash-landed Clone Troopers and Jar Jar Binks having to think (well, with Jar Jar, stumble!!!) on their feet in order to survive and rescue their friends, leading to some comedy moments with the latter that I thought were genuinely quite fun (I liked the unintentional tank battle sequence very much, as well as the Gungan riding the Skalder creatures after the spice stealing Pirates. Oh, and let’s not forget that cool Pirate speeder bike sequence, either!!)). Sadly, another blow for the episode, as Ahmed Best, for unknown reasons (possibly scheduling?), wasn’t available to do Jar Jar’s voice this time. His vocal talents were truly missed-it just wasn’t the same without him as the gangly Gungan. As the episode ended, it was logical for the writer to adhere to the Jedi code that they would have no malice/revenge towards the Weequay pirates. But there is a flaw to this. Okay, so Turk was responsible for a lot of the bad stuff in this episode, but how would the Jedi know that? And does the tragic loss/murder of Senator Kharrus mean nothing to our heroes? (Poor old Kharrus!! Ah well…at least he was buried with Indiana Jones’s STAFF OF RA!!). Surely, Hondo and his men should have paid some price for their actions? I can only assume that this story’s plot holes may be due to sequence/dialogue omissions rather than anything ill conceived. And perhaps those quirky and devious Weequay Pirates will return later in the series? AFICIONADO RATING: With a story finale that seemed to defy logic in places, I can’t say THE GUNGAN GENERAL is one of my favourite episodes so far this season, but, looked at purely as a piece of family entertainment rather than official STAR WARS cannon, it was fun and ended in an acceptable, rather than totally satisfactory, way. All in all, just a respectable 3 out of 5.

EPISODE THIRTEEN: JEDI CRASH Writer: Katie Lucas Director: Rob Coleman

MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 22 FIRST US TRANSMISSION (CARTOON NETWORK): 16TH JANUARY 2009 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION (SKY PREMIERE): 17TH JANUARY 2009 STORY: When Aayla Secura’s squadron of Republic ships come under heavy Separatist attack in the ionosphere of one of the planets in the Quell system, Anakin and Ahsoka lead a rescue mission that ultimately goes badly wrong, resulting in Anakin being gravely injured and their damaged escape cruiser making an accidental hyperspace jump that forces them to crash land on the planet Maridun. Whilst Captain Rex tends to the injured Jedi General, Padawan Ahsoka and Secura, after encountering some dangerous indigenous life forms called Mastif Phalons, encounter the planet’s local populace, a pacifist alien society of lemur-like creatures called Lurmen, whom they urgently request help from in the form of their local medicine man. But can they reach Anakin in time? AFICIONADO REVIEW: If this is the first of many examples to come, I hope that the talent for making STAR WARS in the Lucas family carries on as brilliantly as this. Second daughter Katie Lucas proves that you don’t have to be nepotistic to get a job at LUCASFILM. From just this one example, with more to come in the future, she is showing the skills of a very talented upcoming young writer. JEDI CRASH, her first episode as a series in-house writer, is a real breakthrough-packed with action and excitement and some serious dramatic moments, especially in its no-holds barred opening (the whole idea of the ship battle in the ionosphere of a planet was an inspired one by both Lucas and the production team, as was the idea of the flying super battle droids causing absolute carnage to the Republic forces. You may not have time to draw your breath after those first seven minutes!!). Things get a little bit calmer after the later crash landing, but the excellent quality of the story continues to unfold well with some neat, resonant character moments and the introduction of a new alien race. One of the last episodes of this first season to be made, this is top notch STAR WARS and is up there with the best or ‘em, with lots of variety and ingenious pieces of imagination (I loved the sequence where Anakin Force threw his friends into the cruiser’s airlock but wasn’t able to stop himself fro getting injured, the attack of the Mastif creatures on the heroes camp, and even the little quirks like Anakin’s heavy Vader breathing in sickbay and the fun way the Lurmen doctor rolled into a shape almost like a droideka so that he could move quickly). The early sequence of the hyperdrive system, it’s workings and what it

can and can’t do’s previously established in previous films and the Expanded Universe, may now have been shaken up a little bit by this adventure’s events, but who cares-this is close to live action STAR WARS in my book, which means, this time, that the rulebook can be thrown out for a good reason and story-there aren’t many episodes that I would consider total cannon-JEDI CRASH, though, is a different kettle of fish which I’m prepared to accept. Finally, after years of waiting and almost there’s, the Lemur race of creatures make it to reality in a STAR WARS adventure. They were much smaller than I thought they would be and they were hampered by their little Leprechaun Irish voices, which I found a tad irritating, but, on the whole, their society was very well realized and believable and I look forward to seeing more of them in the next part. With some intriguing mannerisms and their distinctly pacifist upbringing, the two characters of the medicine man and their leader-the latter’s voice provided by the popular TV and animated series veteran George Coeare their main representatives this time out. Also on the voice side, like Plo Koon before her, we finally discover what Aayla Secura sounds like-and not only is she still a babe to many of hot blooded guys out there (I’m still sticking with EP IV Leia, though!!)- even in this animated format- but she’s French as well!! What a combination!! Another interesting new character, only on the villain’s side this time, is the droid tactical leader-not quite as I imagined he’d look but, with this being one of the last of the first season episodes to be produced, I’ll get used to him-I’m assuming he’ll probably be a regular fixture in Series Two alongside General Grievous and Dooku. After his super start on the Artoo kidnap duology episodes, Rob Coleman really comes into his own even more this time, using the animators to bring to life one of the most spectacular battles ever seen in STAR WARS (surely this will make it into one of STAR WARS fans best ever type lists!!) through to the nicely played performances he brings from the voice acting between Ahsola (Ashley Eckstein) and Aayla Secura (Jennifer Hale), as well as superbly realizing Ralph McQuarrie’s original 1983 concept art for JEDI, for the planet Spicemon, as the new Lurman planet of Maridun. Somebody give this ultra-talented guy an animated feature film to do, preferably a STAR WARS one please!!! AFICIONADO RATING: Certainly not an unlucky number thirteen, I was absolutely gob smacked by the feature quality opening seven minutes of this episode. And the rest of the story...well that was first class too!! I had some doubts about Katie Lucas taking the reins of an episode

but I have been more than proved wrong with JEDI CRASH. This is a fresh, enthusiastic and nicely conceived piece of work. Well done. A superb 5 out of 5

EPISODE FOURTEEN: DEFENDERS OF PEACE Writer: Bill Cantlebury Director: Steward Lee MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 24 FIRST US TRANSMISSION (CARTOON NETWORK): 23/1/2009 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION (SKY PREMIERE): 24/1/2009 STORY: Still stranded on Maridun, the three Jedi and their two Clone Trooper commanders try to reason with the Lurman when a Separatist force headed by the greedy General Lok Durd arrives on the planet to test a dangerous new weapon that destroys natural life yet leaves technology intact. As the injuries recovering Anakin leads his comrades into battle against the enemy, will the Lurman be persuaded to help them, or will their pacifism let their world become another casualty of war? AFICIONADO REVIEW: Shades of the western genre, one of the STAR WARS saga’s greatest modern influences, in this episode as the Jedi fight to defend the Lurman’s rights and beliefs, at the possible cost of their own lives, in a MAGNIFICENT SEVEN’ish showdown with the Separatists. Though the idea of the Separatist weapon is nothing new in science fiction circles, THE CLONE WARS newcomer Bill Cantlebury’s script is tight, well structured and has some nice moments (dig that Probe Droid, too!!), though perhaps, without the danger of trying to be too preachy (which, quite rightly, Winder, Filoni and their team were obviously trying to avoid), there could have been a little bit more script development into the Lurman’s pacifism and about their thoughts and relationship to the Jedi, as well as the latter’s own beliefs whilst acting as peacekeepers in the war-perhaps we’ll see more of that as it escalates into a probably harder-edged Season Two. Again, like Cantlebury’s writing, the directing, again from another newcomer, Steward Lee, was perfectly fine-perhaps more subtle and in contrast to the out and out visual extravaganza we had from Rob Coleman the previous week- but this was an interesting, equally well made counter

balance to JEDI CRASH, and expanded the story well into a more than satisfactory tale. The final battle was also of note, but why didn’t the Jedi and the Lurman villagers call on help from the previously seen Mastif’s? Legendary STAR TREK actor, all round nice guy and animation veteran (remember the seventies SPACE SENTINELS, anyone?) George Takei brings his marvelously distinctive voice to the repulsive character of Lok Durd, a nonchalant and overbearingly arrogant Separatist who doesn’t care what is destroyed so long as he can get his promotion. As well as this new character, the episode also lets us see a lot more of the Jedi in action, in some very well choreographed and directed moments, with each showing some distinctive, nifty moves (loved Aayla Secura at work and the bit where Ahsoka was running around the captured droids and slicing their heads off. That girl has a wicked streak!!), and, of course, anything in which we see Anakin at his heroic prime is always great to see-I’d love to now watch a counterpoint animated series on the Classic Trilogy where we see Darth Vader doing the same but for the baddies!! AFICIONADO RATING: A quieter in tone yet very solid second part to the previous episode. Nicely made, with some lovely direction. 4 OUT OF 5.

EPISODE FIFTEEN: TRESPASS Writer: Steve Melching Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 25 (this is a second season episode production which got put into the season one 22 episode slot instead-it seems this episode may have replaced Rob Coleman’s CARGO OF DOOM, which looks to have been switched over into season two?) FIRST US TRANSMISSION (CARTOON NETWORK) 30/1/2009 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION (SKY PREMIERE) 31/1/2009 STORY: Having suddenly lost contact with their Clone Trooper outpost on the ice planet of Orto Plutonia, Anakin and Obi-Wan are soon caught in a dispute escalating into war between the planet’s indigenous life-forms, the bear-like Talz, and the Republic member

world of Pantora, whose leader, Chairman Chi Cho, has claimed the world as part of their empire. NOTE: British BABYLON 5 actor Robin Atkin Downes, now a regular animation voice artist, contributes to this episode as a Pantoran officer. AFICIONADO REVIEW: What we’ve all been waiting for: another Ice Planet, and one that certainly looks as beautiful but also as inhospitable and dangerous as Hoth from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Steve Melching’s story and script are more than fine for this episode, as are the voice cast (including Aayla Secura actress Jennifer Earle coming back to voice another character, this time the endearing Padme wannabe Riyo Chuchi), but really it’s the superb visuals of this episode that make it such a stand out. Everything you wanted to see in a STAR WARS ice planet is brought to life magnificently, from the adaptation of Ralph McQuarrie and Joe Johnston’s 1979 concept art of the Imperial Snowtroopers for the Clones, to the hardware that travels across the planets surface (loved those new speeder bikes!!!), to the first proper use of the Talz creatures (nice to see a Classic Trilogy creature returning and used in a much better way than simply looking puzzled in the Mos Eisley Cantina!!). I just loved the whole way the episode looked (oh, if only a modern live action film could have looked this good!!)- kudos for the interior Republic Clone Outpost, which had a lighting style and cinematography that echoed the Rebel’s base from EMPIRE-with a main command deck that looked like a larger version of the unused interior created by McQuarrie’s for that film’s Ion Cannon Control Room. The episode’s atmospheric opening also had mild echoes of THE THING, with the discovery of both Separatists and Republic forces taken out by a mysterious foe, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Even the pockets of breath coming out of the characters mouths were a realistic achievement worth noting!! Though Anakin and Obi-Wan have very little to do in the story apart from act as impartial observers to the developing conflict, it is Rex and the Snowtroopers that have the chance to shine once more, especially in the action stakes when fighting against the Talz. And let’s not forget the always-welcome appearance of Artoo and Threepio, too, who can finally walk about on the surface of an ice planet after practical considerations made their chance of appearing on location in Norway for 1979’s filming of EMPIRE unfeasible-not so in the animation medium!! AFICIONADO RATING: Having been plucked out from season two and shown earlier than planed, TRESPASS, with its lovely nods to THE

EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, is an intriguing taster of what’s to come further down the line for the series. This felt like a more mature episode, with none of the kiddie friendly material that older STAR WARS fans may dislike, and the animation and cinematography firmly show the Lucas team’s confident style. 5 out of 5

EPISODE SIXTEEN: THE HIDDEN ENEMY Writer: Drew Z. Greenberg Director: Steward Lee MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 2: 01 (THIS IS THE FIRST EPISODE TO BE MADE FOR SERIES TWO, YET IT HAS BEEN PLACED INTO THE SERIES ONE RUNNING ORDER) FIRST US TRANSMISSION (CARTOON NETWORK): 6/2/2009 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION (SKY PREMIERE): 7/2/2009 STORY: When a special offensive mission by Anakin and Obi-Wan to help the crystalline planet of Christophsis backfires, the Clone Troopers discover they have a traitor in their ranks. As the Separatist Droid invasion army prepares to move into the planet’s capital city, and the distracted Jedi face off once more against Asajj Ventress, can Cody and Rex discover and apprehend the devil in their midst before he can do any more damage? AFICIONADO REVIEW: What happens when a Clone Trooper starts to think dangerously beyond his servitude conditioning? When he starts to become more fallible and corruptible than his friends and colleagues around him? What happens when a soldier like that doesn’t want to fight for the Republic cause? Those are the intriguing questions posed within the premise of yet another well written and thought-provoking episode of this series (actually an episode from it’s seemingly more sophisticated second season no less!!). It’s a situation that becomes real and almost unthinkable for both the Jedi and the Clone Troopers-a turncoat in their midst. This leads to some very interesting moments and dialogue, especially for our resident and likeable “hero” soldiers, Rex and Cody (nice to see them back together in action again), as they eventually find and attempt to stop their hidden enemy.

Another plus for the series; the chance to go back and tell Prequel stories to the animated Prequel movie!! Christophsis was an intriguing world and it was nice that the animators were able to take us back there (shame, though, that we couldn’t have seen a little more of their race-their costumes at the beginning reminded me of something that humanoid aliens from the sixties STAR TREK series would wear-very retro-I liked it!!). With the upcoming second season (hard to believe we’re almost at the end of the first already!!) apparently exploring other time frames within the Prequel saga, I can’t wait to see how things develop... Meanwhile, Anakin and Obi-Wan come to blows once more with Asajj Ventress in her time delaying tactic (loved that smoochy talk between her and Obi-Wan!!) that perfectly leads into the movie and equally provides some spectacular lightsaber action. The excellent audio and visual nods continue, with Kevin Kiner returning to some of his previously established movie themes, and there’s an equally nice nod to some of John Williams music from EPISODE II nicely thrown in as well. The tactical droid seen in JEDI CRASH loses his head in a terrific scene with one of the Clone Troopers, and the mysterious tentacle spaceship that snuck in to Tatooine and captured Rotta the Huttlet is also shown again for the first time (if you see what I mean!!!). AFICIONADO RATING: Exciting stuff, and I get the feeling that season two, from this example so far, is only the start of a darker shift for the series…. 5 out of 5

EPISODE SEVENTEEN: BLUE SHADOW VIRUS Writer: Craig Titley Director: Giancarlo Volpe MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 26 (we assume another Season Two episode) FIRST US TRANSMISSION (CARTOON NETWORK) 13/2/2009 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION (SKY PREMIERE): 14/2/2009

STORY: Padme, Threepio and Jar Jar return to Naboo and discover that their world has once more been infiltrated by enemy forces. Discovering a biological weapons base hidden deep underground in one of the swamp regions, the threesome team up with the newly arrived Jedi-Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka-to try and stop the evil machinations of Doctor Nuvo Vindi before he can use the previously destroyed, but now re-developed, Blue Shadow Virus to kill countless lives on both Naboo and other Republic worlds. NOTE: IN THE US, THIS EPISODE AND “MYSTERY OF A THOUSAND MOONS” WERE SHOWN TOGETHER ON CARTOON NETWORK, SPECIFICALLY LINKED TO A SPECIAL NIGHT OF PREMIERE PROGRAMMING ON THAT CHANNEL. IN THE UK, SKY SHOWED “BLUE SHADOW VIRUS” ON ITS OWN THE NEXT DAY, WITH “MYSTERY” THE FOLLOWING WEEK. AFICIONADO REVIEW: Again, a standard action/adventure scenario- a race against time to stop a virus being unleashed- but one that works well within the STAR WARS universe, in another slick and nicely plotted episode and a nice directorial pitch from CLONE WARS newcomer, Giancarlo Volpe. Adding to it all is some nicely framed art direction with a welcome return to Naboo, which is well represented with some beautiful continuity (great to see some of the familiar EPISODE ONE backgrounds, like the Naboo fighter hangar and the grass plains-keeping the Doug Chiang look nicely) and a very pleasing colour use (Padme wears gowns/outfits that would make Iain McCaig and Trisha Biggar proud!!). The later action scenes in the underground Virus bunker also proved exciting (loved the corridor weaving Battle Droids)-liked the EMPIRE Bespin tunnel homage, too, and it was nice to see the return of familiar characters like Captain Typho (what about Panaka!!) and Threepio (as well as new ones like Queen Neevutnee). Sadly, Jar Jar’s voice is starting to Jar Jar, and still isn’t provided by Ahmed Best-he really is the only one who can voice him and is much missed. I did like the Gungan farmer, Peppi Bow, though, who had a nice little scene saving the day by episode’s end. And SKYWALKER RANCH continues to have it in for those poor Shak beasts-ILM were blowing them up and dropping them onto Separatist tanks in scenes and outtakes for EPISODE TWO, and now the poor mites are being poisoned!!! Fresh from his AUSTIN POWERS duties, though no stranger to animated series (like WB’s BATMAN), Michael York caps it all off, just about keeping within the comedy/drama parameters with a very OTT performance as the evil doctor Nuvo Vindi, a cross between a clichéd

Nazi/B-movie mad scientist and the CARRY ON film’s Kenneth Williams. AFICIONADO RATING: Another fun episode-it’s always nice to be back on Naboo. 4 out of 5

EPISODE EIGHTEEN: MYSTERY OF A THOUSAND MOONS Writer: Brian Larsen Supervising Writer: Drew Z. Greenberg Director: Jesse Yeh MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: SEASON 2, EPISODE 2 FIRST U.S. TRANSMISSION (CARTOON NETWORK): 13/2/2009 FIRST U.K. TRANSMISSION (SKY PREMIERE): 21/2/2009 STORY: Picking up mere moments from the previous episode, the Blue Shadow Virus facility, believed contained, has an unexpected breakout of the disease when a Separatist servant droid detonates a missing canister. Separated from their infected friends below, Anakin and ObiWan have a mere 48 hours to mount a desperate mission to the far distant world of Iego in search of a mysterious plant that will act as an antidote. Once there, and with the help of a robot repair kid by the name of Jaybo Hood, the duo go trough many obstacles against the planets natural animal/plant life before recovering the rare Reeksa root. Can Anakin and Obi-Wan reach the fallen Padme and Ahsoka in time? And what about the dreaded spirit of Drol that lies in wait on the edge of the Iego system. Will it let them pass through, or will the Twilight become a part of the destroyed graveyard of ships already littering it’s system? AFICIONADO REVIEW: In this tenth anniversary of THE PHANTOM MENACE, it’s nice to have a CLONE WARS episode that pays some lovely little visual tributes to it. Now we finally know what Anakin meant when he was likening Padme to an Angel all those years before… Specially designed by Lucas, the Angel of Iego that we see is

both beautiful and enchanting. Sadly, her appearance was all too brieflet’s hope her and the rest of her race come back one day... The aforementioned moons of Iego are also finally realized, its main planet being a beautiful and unusual satellite surrounded by space junk and populated by the some of the most equally beautiful and unusual creatures to be seen in a STAR WARS adventure, with man eating killer plants that Audrey II from LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS would fall in love with!! And a neat little climbing/cave sequence for our Jedi heroes, too. Kudos for the City of Cliffhold from early Doug Chiang designs for EPISODE ONE, whilst the Jedi’s little boy helper/ exposition speaker for the episode, Jaybo Hood, is the final EPISODE ONE reference icing on the cake-indeed highly reminiscent of the dark haired Anakin Skywalker from those early Pre-Production drawings of the mid-nineties (and also possibly a nod to the young Han Solo who never made the final version of EPISODE THREE), though he’s a little more precocious than Anni ever was, especially in those early moments when we are introduced to him-I personally prefer that little Dantooine kid from Gendy Tartakovsky’s episode to Jaybo-his not talking was a big plus!! The re-introduction of the Blue Shadow virus into the plot, turning the story into a tidy little two parter, and its subsequence resolution, were well done and there were some genuinely exciting little action moments where Padme, Ahsoka and Jar Jar were trying to stop the Battle Droids from spreading the Virus beyond the infected base. The juxtaposition between the underground lair-all shadows and dark reds, oranges and blues- against the almost whimsical fairytale lightness of Iego-grey, pinks, purple and green- worked well, with some lovely direction and cinematography adding to the mix. And, finally, applause for giving Captain Rex one of the best closing episode lines in relation to Jar Jar Binks!! AFICIONADO RATING: Despite the grim idea of the virus infecting our female heroines, this was another nice little breather episode before the onslaught of battle to come that is the Ryloth trilogy. 3 out of 5

EPISODE NINETEEN: STORM OVER RYLOTH Writer: George Krstic

Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 15 FIRST US TRANSMISSION (CARTOON NETWORK): 27/2/2009 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION (SKY PREMIERE): 28/2/2009 STORY: The battle by Republic forces to liberate the Separatist captured Twi’leks on their home planet of Ryloth has begun. Stage one involves Anakin and Ahsoka leading a squadron of Republic cruisers breaking the planetary blockade. Sadly, the mission goes badly wrong, with a stubborn Ahsoka, in her first solo mission, failing to follow orders from her Master in time, and creating a situation leading to the deaths of many Republic men and pilots in her fighter squadron, and the injuring of Admiral Yularen. As Ahsoka comes to grips with the damage to her confidence and her guilt over the lost lives, Anakin formulates a new and even more risky plan to destroy the blockade. With time running out for the Republic forces, and the Twi’lek people in starvation, can Ahsoka get past her demons in helping her friends win the crucial first stage of the liberation? AFICIONADO REVIEW: Henry Gilroy’s dream for a story of action, drama and courage based on the D-Day landing/invasion of Normandy finally comes to THE CLONE WARS in this mightily epic, long awaited three part Ryloth trilogy. Nicely splitting the characters involvement in episodic sections, this first part focuses on Anakin and Ahsoka, and brings a new dimension to them-their first serious tragedy and their first serious failure together- and how both come to terms with itresulting in Anakin, fighting his feeling of loss, formulating an even bigger, even more riskier plan, but one that will only place himself in danger, whilst a guilt ridden Ahsoka has to find the courage to come in to support her master and win the day with her solid second wave attack. All of this was not your average prime time kiddie fare!! The script and dialogue for the Jedi duo was good but I felt more could have been done with it-the failure was far too quickly obliterated-it had to be for time and plot considerations anyway- but I hope that we get some more depth with regards to the Master and Padawan relationship in future episodes-I look forward to seeing where the writers take them…will it be a darker journey? Despite that criticism, though, the final shot of Anakin watching the battle and enjoying the Separatist destruction that he’d wrought was both darkly funny and clever –with just a hint of Vader’s craftiness thrown in.

Equally nice to see was a Trade Federation Captain-Mar Tuuk- who wasn’t quite as dumb as the rest of his race (he may not be Grand Admiral Thrawn, but he certainly gave the Republic fleet and Anakin a black eye!!), the return of the FLASH GORDON communication screen!, and the nasty Wat Tambor (whose death by Anakin in EPISODE THREE should not have been cut out!!). And Ahsoka gets her own green Artoo unit!! Added to all that were the terrific space battles-a wave of colour, explosions and highly detailed ships panning to the camera-including a nice Star Destroyer maneuver scene lifted from HEIR TO THE EMPIRE added to the episode by Dave Filoni-genius!, and it was terrific to see the Y-wings back in action once again, and causing some serious damage that we never got to see them do in the Original Trilogy!! AFICIONADO RATING: It may not have been as totally satisfying on the dramatic level that I had been hoping for-and yes, I know it’s primarily a show for younger audiences!!- but STORM OVER RYLOTH was still a fine and spectacular, action packed start to this epic three parter that should have been a movie! 4 out of 5

EPISODE TWENTY: INNOCENTS OF RYLOTH Writer: Randy Stradley and Henry Gilroy (episode screen credit is to Henry Gilroy) Director: Justin Ridge MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 17 FIRST US TRANSMISSION (CARTOON NETWORK): 6/3/2009 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION (SKY PREMIERE): 7/3/2009 STORY: The second phase of the liberation of Ryloth has begun. Unable to land their heavy cruisers due to the Trade Federation’s newly installed proton cannons, Obi-Wan leads his Ghost Company force to the Twi’lek city of Nabat to wipe out their entrenched attackers, who are now using the planets inhabitants as a protective shield. As the battle in the abandoned city streets intensifies, two advance scout Clone Troopers, Waxer and Boil, encounter a young Twi’lek child, Numa, whose help and knowledge of the city soon proves

instrumental in aiding the Republic forces. AFICIONADO REVIEW: The battle intensifies in this extremely well written and made episode, a lovely nod by its creators to the classic Gregory Peck war time classic THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, building on the excitement of the previous first part, and carefully balancing action adventure against a nice little personal story of two Clone Troopers discovering of the seemingly abandoned Twi’lek child, Numa. In the hands of many film makers this sequence could have been blood curdlingly awful and clichéd but in this CLONE WARS episode its carefully handled, and Numa proves both sweet, charming and gutsy (and nicely voiced by Catherine Taber-who makes the girls few vocal impressions absolutely count, as well as successfully capitalizing on the audience’s heart strings), without being vomit in a bucketinducing. Added to the child’s isolation, as her parent and people have disappeared, this episode’s war scenario parallels obviously to the very real conflict in Iraq, where Saddam Hussein had employed similar human shield tactics to those of the emotionless Tactical Battle Droid TX-20, who, technically, makes its first appearance in the series (this episode being made in production before JEDI CRASH). Fortunately, and thankfully unlike the real life war, the Jedi win this encounter without loss of life, and Obi-Wan shines in this episode-its great to see him back with Commander Cody and using his Force abilities to the full, particularly in controlling the Gutkurr animal attack and his manipulating EMP bombs at the Battle droids. Very cool. As always, the visual elements are superb-nice to see the Probe Droids back, and any sequence with the Republic Gunships in action and racing across the planetary vistas are always great in my book- and the episode ended, not only with a rousing moment where the Twi-leks decapitate TX-20, but also a touching sequence where the Clone Troopers Waxer and Boil discover exactly what little Numa’s continual use to them of the word “Nerra” means. Phase two of the Ryloth ground battle has been won. Phase three begins...and it’s time for Mace Windu to kick ass!! AFICIONADO RATING: Another supreme Henry Gilroy effort, and Justin Ridge is the definitive director so far for any major Clone Trooper related episodes. 5 out of 5

EPISODE TWENTY-ONE: LIBERTY ON RYLOTH

Writer: Henry Gilroy Director: Rob Coleman MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: 19 FIRST US TRANSMISSION (CARTOON NETWORK) 13/3/2009 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION (SKY PREMIERE) 14/3/2009 STORY: The final phase of the Ryloth liberation begins, as Mace Windu and his Clone forces reach the critical capital city, Lessu. With no access to it except by plasma bridge, and with heavy Separatist reenforcements protecting their leader, the vile Wat Tambor, Windu knows that he will have to contact the planets controversial resistance leader, Cham Syndulla, and ask for his help in the final decisive battle to come. But even as he does so, Tambor and his Tactical Droid, under orders from Count Dooku, plan to retreat the world but not before leaving it a dead wasteland-making it an example to any planet that dares ask for help from the Republic. As a quotient of Vulture Droid bombers escape Anakin and Ahsoka’s air battle containment and head for Lessu, can Mace and his forces take the city in time…? NOTE: Twi’lek Jedi Ayla Secura was originally to have appeared as an undercover operative on the planet in the Ryloth saga but, due to lack of available animation man power at that time at LUCASFILM, she never appeared in the trilogy episodes which were actually made before her appearance in the prior transmitted JEDI CRASH adventure. AFICIONADO REVIEW: Whether leaping onto a STAP droid from a collapsing plasma bridge, joining his Clone Troopers on mini AT-RT’s, throwing huge shield doors on enemy tanks or just conversing with Twi’lek resistance fighters to liberate their home world, Mace Windu, even in cartoon form, is still the man. Criminally under-used in the Prequels, he gets more to do in this one episode of THE CLONE WARS than most of REVENGE OF THE SITH!! Epic battles deserve epic heroes and this was the one that we had all been waiting for-it seemed sensible for the Producers to save a Mace Windu-centric episode for something big league, and worthy, episode-wise, and it doesn’t getting any more spectacular than this final part of the Ryloth trilogy-the actual liberation of the planets main city. Such a pairing seemed liked symbiosis to me, and this finale was a cracker, the last ten minutes in

particular were brilliant paced and directed in true STAR WARS style, with Rob Coleman’s penultimate episode ever more confident in its cinematography and its visual ideas and flourishes (with some nice visual touches/nods to previous episodes (really liked that cool little scrap between the Clones and the Battle Droid commandoes), EPISODE III and even the Blurrg creatures from the Ewok films thrown in), and linked to a Henry Gilroy script that once again delivered the goods. Added to that, TC Carson did a great job as Mace Windu with some fine support from British actor Robin Atkin Downes who finally gets some better vocal range as the Twi’lek resistance leader, Cham Syndulla. It’s also nice to see Wat Tambor get a fair bit to do, too (and he moves like he’s on wheels-like that horribly green monster from CHORLTON AND THE WHEELIES!!) Let’s hope the Republic holds him captive for a little while and doesn’t lose him so badly as they did Nute Gunray in CLOAK OF DARKNESS!! And finally, after being confined to the live action deleted scenes universe for so long, let’s not forget the appearance of the corrupt politician Orn Free Taa-seemingly working for the cause of his people but eventually just as corrupt as any member of the Trade Federation!! AFICIONADO RATING: A brilliant ending to a constantly exciting and involving trilogy. And a visual triumph, too. What a shame this never made it to the big screen as it deserved to be seen. 5 out of 5

EPISODE TWENTY-TWO: HOSTAGE CRISIS Writer: Eoghan Mahoney Director: Giancarlo Volpe MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: SERIES TWO, EPISODE FOUR FIRST US TRANSMISSION (CARTOON NETWORK) 20/3/2009 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION (SKY PREMIERE) 21/3/2009 NOTE: We presume, with only a few months prior notice, that the decision to change the running order of the final four episodes, with the Ryloth trilogy now preceding HOSTAGE CRISIS was possibly so as to promote the new villain Cad Bane better, and especially to tie the finale episode as a lead in to Season Two’s opening adventure?

STORY: With Padme and other high ranking Senators captured and held hostage on Coruscant by a ruthless band of Bounty Hunters, led by the calculatingly vicious Cad Bane, a lightsaber-less Anakin Skywalker, also trapped within the enclosed Senate Chambers, must attempt to liberate his friends and stop the enemy group before their demands to have Ziro the Hutt released are acceded to. But is he a match for this new enemy whose plans so far have totally succeeded? AFICIONADO REVIEW: Heavily trailered and publicized in a deliberately similar and equally successful way as Boba Fett was for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (so hyped up in a matter of weeks, in fact, that the only thing missing this time was a pre-release action figure like Fett had from 1978!! I hope you’re listening to this, HASBRO-you missed an opportunity there!), Cad Bane’s overnight success doesn’t just come with his striking visual appearance-who couldn’t resist the appearance of an alien who looks like he’s just wandered off the set of a spaghetti western movie!! Based on the original aborted plans for Fett, drawn by McQuarrie and possibly Joe Johnston, the eerie look of the Durosian red eyes add to his impact along with a creepy raspy, old yet alien voice over from the talented Corey Burton. Straight from the episode’s opening scenes onwards Bane soon shows why they’ll be fans dressing up as him at next years CELEBRATION V, proving just as ruthless, quick thinking, adaptable and dangerous as both members of the Fett family should have been in the films!! From the animation schematics, he’s certainly packed with all the accouterments to add to their popularity-only a jet firing rocket back on his back is missing!! Sadly, most of the character’s gadgets shown in that publicity key art sent to fans on the web we’ve not seen in action yet-from the Season Two trailer, though, that’s for a future re-match against Anakin that’s still to come. And we can’t wait!! Well done, Filoni and company… Bane’s colleagues are just as much as unique as he is-a mixed bag of equally formidable aliens and droids (with the IG-88 type droid much better animated here than his colleagues were in their first appearance, DOWNFALL OF A DROID), all hideous but nonetheless appealing and intriguing to STAR WARS fans who can’t resist a good nemesis for our heroes. And, finally, no longer trapped on a balcony watching a podrace, Aurra Sing, voice by Jamie King, makes a welcome return to the saga-the scene where she cold bloodedly kills a senate guard confirming her nonchalant attitude to her victims or anyone else who gets in her way. In a story that has echoes of DIE HARD and STAR TREK: THE NEXT

GENERATION’s episode STARSHIP MINE, both of which have our mostly weaponless main hero trapped in a sealed building/ship where they have to escape/rescue friends held hostage by terrorists, again this is nothing new. But really, that doesn’t matter at all. HOSTAGE CRISIS is a vehicle designed and plotted solely to show off just how cool and dangerous these new bad guy bounty hunters are going to be- heck, they certainly aren’t afraid of Jedi-even Anakin!! HOSTAGE CRISIS sees returning director Giancarlo Volpe having stronger material to play around with than he had in the previous BLUE SHADOW VIRUS (and after the dry deserts and boulders of Ryloth its nice to return to the gleaming blue sky and glistening buildings of the planetary “civilization” known as Coruscant), though both episodes are equally beautiful and stylishly realized-the Prequel environments of EPISODE ONE seem to resonate with the directors work. After seeing only the depths of the city in the first movie, it’s nice to return to the gleamjng sci-fi metropolis of Coruscant in its upper levels and enjoy the political machinations playing against the action by Palpatine (I also have to mention the sterling work done by the series writers in addressing or putting in sly references to modern political shennanigans that are going on in our own real world-like the highly controversial invasion of privacy bill). Though, I’m still not a great fan of Ziro the Hutt, his presence in the story and the impetus he gave for the bounty hunters to demand his release made this end of season episode a nice bookend to the animated movie. Another plus for Prequel fans was the first, and hopefully not the last, appearance of Bail Organa-we hope he stays around but that he’s better voice actored in the future. Nice to see so many EPISODE THREE senators amongst the hostages, too, and a couple from previous animated shows like TRESPASS. There was even one of those slinky silver female BETTIE PAGE-type droid waitresses!! Though it’s great to have them back together, some clunky dialogue between Anakin and Padme comes a short time after the bounty hunters first appearance, yet, plotting-wise, it has to be like that in order to separate Anakin from his lightsaber- it’s the only reason he could possibly be without it. Fortunately, the rest of their scenes work fine, though Threepio only gets one line of dialogue in the episode, which is a bit of a shame!! To be honest, Anakin’s overall actions served very little to the plot-as previously mentioned it was only ever about the bounty hunters and what they could do, and in that respect, the installment succeeded admirably.

AFICIONADO RATING: As efficient as the bounty hunters it showcased, HOSTAGE CRISIS was an intriguing, though unusual feeling season ending which I felt it deserved to be another five minutes longer. For once, the villains- a terrific new menace whose shades of grey, character wise, will prove formidable and dangerous in ways that the Separatists can’t be to our STAR WARS heroes-got away with their crimes of violence and chaos, and such a move by the writers continues to keep the show interesting for the future (leading into a Season Two conflict between them and the Jedi that should be pretty damned awesome!!). 4 out of 5

OVERALL SEASON REVIEW: A superb start that exceeded all my expectations and proved superior to the pilot movie, which was very enjoyable, released in cinemas. Brilliantly animated, and seemingly more ambitious with each episode, it was nice to see such a great mixture of story-telling in this premiere year, where clearly a lot of thought and respect to the STAR WARS universe has been taken, and the use of our heroes throughout was exemplary. New character Ahsoka Tano will no doubt be a hit with young children of all ages, as will the cool Captain Rex, and its nice to see the cool bad-dette of the previous animated series, Asajj Ventress, get a look in during action packed episodes opposite such heavyweight as Count Dooku and General Grievous. Season Two will surely have a lot to live up to after this stunning launch. Overall Season Rating: 4 out of 5

SEASON TWO: RISE OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS MAIN PRODUCTION CREDITS

Created by and Executive Producer: George Lucas Executive Producer (for Season One episodes incorporated into Season Two): Catherine Winder Produced by Cary Silver Supervising Director (including additional dialogue and story material): Dave Filoni Story Editor/ Series Writer: Henry Gilroy Staff Writers (Season Two): Scott Murphy, Katie Lucas, Brian Larsen Supervising Writer: Drew Z Greenberg STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS made by LUCASFILM ANIMATION Distributed worldwide by WARNER BROTHERS Above image: copyright LUCASFILM ANIMATION. With thanks to Chris Baker for the image composition.

VOICE CAST Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano Catherine Taber as Padme Amidala Anthony Daniels as See-Threepio James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi / Plo Koon Dee Bradley Baker as the Clone Troopers/Admiral Trench/ Bossk/Geonosian Queen Tom Kane as Yoda / Admiral Yularen / Tactical Droids/

Narrator Nika Futterman as Asajj Ventress (does not appear in Season Two) Corey Burton as Count Dooku/ Cad Bane/ Mandalorian Troopers Terrence "TC" Carson as Mace Windu Ian Abercrombie as Chancellor Palpatine/ Darth Sidious Tim Brock as the Medical Droid/various voices Matthew Wood as General Grievous/ Battle Droids/ Poggle the Lesser Olivia D’Abo as Luminara Unduli Gwendoline Yeo as Nala Se (Kaminoan) Tom Kenny as Nute Gunray/ Lt. Divo Phil Lamarr as Kit Fisto/Bail Organa Jennifer Hale as Aayla Secura Brian George as Ki-Adi-Mundi James Mathis III as Captain Typho Meredith Salenger as Barriss Offee

NOTABLE GUEST VOICE ARTISTS Seth Green as Todo (Episode One only) Daniel Logan as Boba Fett (Episodes Twenty to Twenty Two) Robin Atkin Downes as Rush Clovis (Episode Four), Castas (Episode Twenty One/Twenty Two) Anqelique Perrin as Adi Gallia (Episode Nine), Chris Edgerley as Eeeth Koth (Episode Nine) Jamie King as Aurra Sing (Episodes Twenty to Twenty Two)/ Cassie Cryer (Episode Eleven) Gregory Baldwin as Tera Sinube (Episode Eleven), Casis, Seripas and Gwam (Episode Seventeen), Doge Urus and Dugs (Episode Eighteen) Kath Soucie as Mon Mothma (Episode Sixteen) Jon Favreau as Pre Visla (Episodes Twelve to Fourteen) Jim Cummings as Hondo (Episode Seventeen and Twenty Two) Julian Holloway as Admiral Kilian (Episodes Twenty and Twenty Two) Cara Pifko as Doctor Sinova Bell (Episodes Eighteen and Nineteen) Dave Filoni as Embo (Episode Seventeen) Anna Graves as Duchess Satine (Episodes Twelve to Fourteen)

Meredith Salenger as Barriss Offe (Episodes Six and Eight)

EPISODE ONE: THE HOLOCRON HEIST Writer: Paul Dini Director: Justin Ridge Made in Production Order: Season One, Episode 23 First US transmission date (CARTOON NETWORK): October 2nd 2009 First UK transmission date (SKY MOVIES PREMIERE): October 24th 2009 Notes: In the US, this episode was shown as part of a special one hour double bill alongside CARGO OF DOOM. Story: Hired by Darth Sidious, the ruthless bounty hunter, Cad Bane, with two of his associates, break into the Jedi Temple on a mission to steal a Holocron. Can Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka stop him before he escapes with his prize? Review: A confident start to the season, the episode has a smashing, full on action sequence on Felucia (as previously seen in EPISODE III’s ORDER 66 sequence) that gets the pulse racing (it even has a Plo Koon moment to keep Mister Filoni happy!!), and the new animation is impressive, though the episode possibly peaks too early because of it. The heist plot that follows on is good, though, and there’s lots of great opportunities to see more of the Jedi Council, the Temple and the Archives (and a neat move in having the previously reckless Ahsoka placed there in punishment by the Council), as well as officially showing the Jedi Holocrons themselves-the stuff of Expanded Universe legend for years now become a reality, as well as the nice mention of the Kybur crystal (previously created, but unused, for STAR WARS in 1975, and then for Alan Dean Foster’s 1978 SPLINTER OF THE MIND'S EYE novel, as a very powerful Force object, but now, in the new Lucas/Filoni created realm, sadly relegated to being little more than a mere information device). Equally welcome are appearances from Jocasta Nu in the archives and another of those eerie Changeling creatures (with a neat little lightsaber duel involving it and Ahsoka to boot!). Not so welcome, however, is Seth Green’s droid character of Todo 360, who I found subtly annoying and visually jarring with what’s already been created in the STAR WARS universe-the character was

created for the kids, though, so I’ll have to accept that fact. Overall, even with some nice little flourishes from expert animation writer Paul Dini, it feels as if the Holocron story was created more as a lead in to CARGO OF DOOM, once it was transplanted into Season Two, rather than as its own fully fledged installment, after LUCAS ANIMATION realized the potential of expanding the Bounty Hunters involvement into this new season. In that respect, THE HOLOCRON HEIST works less as an individual episode but better as a nice little taster for what looks to be a more ambitious and exciting set of adventures than what we’ve seen previously (and which had already been terrific in its own right!!). AFICIONADO RATING: A Holocron stealing 4 out of 5

EPISODE TWO: CARGO OF DOOM Writer: George Krstic Director: Rob Coleman Made in Production Order: Season One, episode 13 (Note: this episode was previously created for Season One but held over for Season Two instead) First US transmission date (CARTOON NETWORK): October 2nd 2009 First UK transmission: October 31st 2009 Story: Finding Bane in the Devaron system, Anakin and Ahsoka board his Separatist Cruiser in an attempt to retrieve the Jedi Holocron and the also stolen Kybur crystal, which, when used together, will give the Sith dangerous knowledge of the locations of the next generation of Force-sensitive children. With his prior hostage Jedi, Bolla Rapol, now dead from torture, Bane knows that he must capture one of the new Jedi boarders alive so as to complete his mission… Review: Another confident winner in the excitement stakes from Rob Coleman, and it’s a real shame that there is only one more episode of his to come before his sad departure from the show. Bar some Battle Droid comedy dialogue that falls totally flat, CARGO OF DOOM is a winner from start to finish, with a well-plotted story by George Krstic. I

particularly liked the Walker battle on the hull of the Separatist ship, followed by the superb zero gravity fight in the hangar (loved that slow mo shot with Anakin and Bane). Unlike the previous episode, where he was really in the sidelines whilst his aides did the hard graft, this time the nasty bounty hunter gets more opportunity to test his mettle against the Jedi, firstly torturing that poor Rodian Jedi, Bolla Ropal, and then creating a great boo-hiss sequence when he captures Ahsoka and forces Anakin to activate the Holocron info. Overall, Bane is an excellent new addition to the show, nicely designed- with that creepy voice from Corey Burton- and I hope that his villainy gets even more complex, adaptable and dangerous as time goes on (as he so amply demonstrates in the stories finale). Though, with his prominent rise to villainy, let’s not forget the previously successful Grievous (now unseen since the middle of Season One!!) and Ventress, eh? AFICIONADO RATING: A head-bumping 5 out of 5

EPISODE THREE: CHILDREN OF THE FORCE Writers: Henry Gilroy and Wendy Meracle Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode Three First US transmission date: 9th October 2009 First UK transmission date: 7th November 2009 Notes: with a two week holiday transmission gap between episodes 4 and 5, this episode got its first repeat on October 23rd 2009. Story: With several Jedi children now captured by Bane, of which Darth Sidious plans to turn them into the first of his new Dark Side converted agents, it’s a race against time by the galaxy traversing Jedi to find the captured Younglings and stop any further kidnappings. Review: The first officially created episode of Season Two gets underway. Concluding the Holocron Trilogy, CHILDREN OF THE FORCE is a great planet encompassing adventure moving at a very strong pace. Finally, Darth Sidious gets a much bigger part to play in

proceedings, having pretty much more to do in this one episode that he had in the entire first season of the series, and is played with relish by Ian Abercrombie. I Loved Darth Sidious’s plans for the Jedi Younglings-he’s now become the ultimate child minder from hell!! In his alternate guise as the kindly Supreme Chancellor, there was also a fun little scene between him and Anakin adding to their Father/Son relationship (I loved the scene where Palpy looked down at Ahsoka with a polite ignorance and then shut her out of the meeting!!)however, plotting wise, wouldn’t Anakin have just spoken to him via hologram about the Jedi mission, rather than see him in person? Why go all the way back to Coruscant to tell him and take himself/Ahsoka out of the mission like that? Perhaps this interesting little character scene was added late in the day and the stories plotting had to be adjusted. Equally welcome, as a nod to the Prequel movies, was the villain’s secret lair-a return to the lava world of Mustafa in a nice tie-in with EPISODE THREE. Like Sidious, Cad Bane is once again proving an equally tough cookie to capture, as his Black Stall space station trap for Mace and Obi-Wan (James Arnold Taylor sounding more like Ewan McGregor every day than Ewan McGregor!!) proves- great little INDIANA JONES reference, too, when Mace reaches for his lightsaber as the shield door is coming down. With more of his bounty hunting to come, Bane needs to be even more villainous and nasty if he’s to ever equal the silent but deadly Boba Fett. Misters Filoni and Gilroy take note. As with THE HOLOCRON HEIST, it’s great to see more development of the Jedi, too- interesting seeing how they are changing during the three year war, indeed resorting to drastic measures in order to fight the Dark Side, particularly uncomfortable being the necessary use by Mace, Anakin (who suggests the idea) and Obi-Wan to interrogate Bane, using their Force mental powers in a combined effort to try and crack the location of the kidnapped Jedi children out of him-the uncomfortable look on Ahsoka’s face says it all, really, in this dramatic and subtly disturbing sequence. The titular characters of the episode were also cute to see, with a nice diversity of onscreen alien races, including a Gungan, Rodian and Nautolan. All in all, this was a solid, thoroughly enjoyable ending to the threepart saga, with mature storytelling-though I still feel that CARGO OF DOOM was, by far, the best part of the trilogy story and direction wise, with a bit more verve than its climax. AFICIONADO RATING: A lava-ry 4 out of 5.

EPISODE FOUR: SENATE SPY Writer: Melinda Hsu (with additional material from Henry Gilroy) Director: Steward Lee Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode Five First US Transmission: 15th October 2009 First UK Transmission: 14th November 2009 Notes: in the US, the series takes a two-week break after this episode due to Halloween/Autumn holidays. Story: Against Anakin’s wishes, Padme accepts a mission from the Jedi Temple to re-acquaint herself with Scipian senator Rush Clovis, with whom she previously had a close relationship, in order to determine whether he is a traitor to the Republic and working with the Separatist’s banking clan. Accompanying Padme in the guise of a Naboo security officer, will Anakin be able to protect her during the vital spy mission/visit to Cato Neimoidia, or will his dangerous jealousy get in the way? Review: SENATE SPY is a fun, outside the norm, beautiful looking episode that gives voice actors Catherine Taber and Matt Lanter- who work really well together in the series when given a chance- some good character depth and dramatic meat to work with in their vocal guises as Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker, in this STAR WARS version of the classic Cary Grant/Ingmar Bergman war time love/espionage drama NOTORIOUS- SENATE SPY pays homage to it right down to that film’s spiral staircase finale (and if you haven’t seen the original film then you owe yourself to check it out-it’s great, an American movie classic). The STAR WARS re-interpretation doesn’t quite match the original for suspense, though, but it’s a bold try, in which both the writers and animators have fun playing with Anakin and Padme’s relationship- this series strength being that it can do things in the episodes which time had never permitted in the movies, so the love/marriage between the pair doesn’t seem as forced as it occasionally did in the Prequels (so much of their scenes having been paired down to the bare bones, or coming across occasionally as a bit forced dialogue-wise, especially in EPISODE III)– here they have the

chance to breathe a bit as characters in this new medium and become a bit more developed and complex. Then, as the episode goes on and Padme’s spy mission unfolds, there is the adding suspicion and jealousy to Anakin in his behavior towards her (a fan expected element and subplot that was also eventually cut out from III). Despite the strong central idea, though, story logic and certain aspects of established continuity within this episode went out the window. I’m assuming that parts of the Banking Clan are neutral and, like their modern day counter-parts, play both sides of the fence in war, but why would the Trade Federation, the enemies of the Republic, still be represented in the Senate? Surely Padme, with all the threats from Nute Gunray-the leader of the TF, would face a death sentence for going to Cato Neimoidia, no matter whether she was a spy or not? Though I applaud the proud creative team for an episode without guns, explosions or violence (and I hope we see more of these character based episodes in future seasons), SENATE SPY’s resolution ends a little too quickly, and easily accomplished, for my taste, though the sub-plot of the Geonosians re-building the Droid Forces works well as an intro to what looks to be an action packed fifth episode. Though not defined enough-perhaps he’ll return in the Geonosian mini arc-Rush Clovis was an interesting character. There were also some fun little moments in the episode linked to Anakin’s jealousy towards him-I actually laughed out loud when the jealous Jedi piloted the ship in a way so as to separate him from Padme-a comedy moment that worked in relationship to the Anakin of the animated series-that scene would never have been successful in live action with Hayden Christensen. Another great example of the creative latitude and scope of the series within its new animated home. It was great to see Threepio in his first appearance in Season Two, and Anthony Daniels, as ever, is excellent (though, as the only true voice star from the films, I think its time he had a lot more to do within the series in general, beyond his protocol duties-perhaps a solo adventure where his involvement is truly critical to the Republic, or one just with Artoo). The same goes for Captain Typho, too-whom the writers seemed to have conveniently forgot this episode- shouldn’t the Senator’s top bodyguard have done far more than just sit in the ship awaiting orders? On the visuals side of things, the episode, as ever, was terrific and had lots of things to keep the heavy duty fans happy-again a lot of it nicely leading in to EPISODE III, like the bridge world of Cato Neimoidia, and

other Prequel places likes the impressive Senate building interior and corridors, the Jedi Council (nice to see Padme there, too, conferring with them). Equally nice were the little appearances from the aforementioned Lott Dodd and Poggle the Lesser. And how can I not mention that outfit Padme wore towards the end-Hai Karumba!! Was George Lucas designing another Padme outfit? If only Natalie Portman had worn that in the films!! AFICIONADO RATING: A well-deserved character episode, though good could have been greater with a bit more script work. A spy-ing by numbers 3 out of 5.

EPISODE FIVE: LANDING AT POINT RAIN Writer: Brian Larsen Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode Seven First US transmission: November 4th 2009 (this was a special presentation airing on CARTOON NETWORK, followed by a repeat on Friday November 6th) First UK transmission: 21st November 2009 Notes: According to Dave Filoni on a video commentary at STARWARS.COM, the original first version of the episode was rejected by STAR WARS creator George Lucas, and the episode was subsequently reshaped with his total involvement in it, insisting that the battle sequences keep the in your face realism style of the work he had previously created for the movies, and using old time war footage as a basis for the heavily revised action sequences. Thanks to the intensive hard work, dedication and enthusiasm of the Production Team to meet Lucas’s last minute requirements, this episode would soon prove an unqualified success. Story: With the Republic distracted by the continued attacks of General Grievous, the insectoid Geonosians have managed to restart their colossal Battle Droid/weapons building program for the Separatists. Now, against a truly overwhelming planetary army expecting their arrival, a huge Republic task force, led by its major Jedi commanders, begins an invasion of Geonosis in a final once and

for all bid to stop the weapons factories, contain the planet and capture its greedy and vicious ruler, Poggle the Lesser. Review: To say this episode was one of the most spectacular segments of any type of STAR WARS would be a colossal understatement. This must have been both an animators dream and an absolute nightmare to realize in equal measure. Incredible camera moves and hundreds of different elements (characters, ships of all shapes and types of flying, weapons, laser blasts and lightsabers, explosions and environmentsmore than you normally got in half a season of the previous premiere run) are brought to life in an adrenaline rush of action and fierce conflict on the dry catacombs world of Geonosis. From the moment you see the mighty legion of Republic starships coming out of hyperspace you know that this new storyline is going to be something far bigger than anything seen previously with the equally epic Ryloth trilogy. It was great to see the Jedi and Clones fighting against a more deadly and skillful enemy than the regular Battle Droids-the Geonosians are just as loathsome as ever-creatures with independent thought and dangerous abilities that can fight ruthlessly and in unexpected ways (loved that creepy moment when they flew out of the dark cave and started taking away Clone Troopers, and the sequences where they showed relish using their heavy weaponry against both the Clones and Jedi). The final battle with our heroes attempting to smash through the enemy’s huge wall defenses was incredible (and I loved the scene where the Droidekas unexpectedly popped out from the floor hatches against Anakin and Ahsoka in a heart pounding moment I wasn’t expecting). There was genuine threat and danger in this episode and a return to the STAR WARS excitement we’ve known and loved for years- all mixed with the kind of WORLD WAR II type realism we’ve come to expect from George Lucas. This was obviously the STAR WARS creators attempt to do the ATTACK OF THE CLONES battle of Geonosis take two-only ramped up 1200 times faster and more intense. This managed to incorporate a lot of elements of which there was simply no time to include during the second Prequel film, as well as improving existing elements of the animated series (both Anakin and Ahsoka worked very well together as a fighting force-I’m much more comfortable with their pairing nowadays). Amongst the many other joys of this episode was the first appearance animation-wise of Jedi Ki-Adi-Mundi (with a nice rendering from Brian George, last heard as the Toydarian king in Season One’s AMBUSH). And it was great to see RYLOTH’s Waxer and Boil involved in the action, too-with the battle around them becoming more and more dangerous as they rescue Obi-Wan. On the injuries front, I was actually quite shocked to see both Ki-Adi and, worse, Obi-Wan

suffering, and the final moment where the latter was sitting down and out of the fight brought a little lump to this reviewers throat-amazing, I almost thought of this animated figure as a real person (Filoni and the gang are certainly doing something right, here!!)- I’d never seen the character look so powerless. Admiral Yularen, though, is starting to annoy me- he’s on the fast track to become one of those irritating commanders that Vader liked to dispense his anger on in the Original Trilogy!! There was so much going on during the battle that it will require multiple viewings to see all the detail (And this episode is only the beginning, as the hunt for the dug-in Poggle the Lesser begins). This made the previous highlight battle of Teth look like a picnic stroll. With the first stage of the Republic landing operation just about successful, it was nice to have a little moment of humour to end the episode, with Anakin getting a surprise from Ki-Adi. If any AFICIONADO members haven't been interested in seeing THE CLONE WARS animated series, I really, really do suggest that they watch the latest episode and give it a try from now on. If there was ever a time to start watching the series and enjoy it, this was it. It’s a shame that we’ll never get to see all four parts of this put together on the big screen-perhaps someone at CELEBRATION V can do some big screen showings of these major episodes. Kudos to everyone at LUCASFILM ANIMATION for such a terrific episode. AFICIONADO RATING: Even bigger in the risk factor, this was an intense and highly exciting episode-truly the best episode yet, with the most spectacular war scenes ever seen in the series so far. If I could give it more than 5 out of 5, I would. This episode was the business and truly captured the magical action and adventure element that the saga does so well. THE CLONE WARS is well and truly back with a bang after its US short break. A crash-tastic 5 out of 5

EPISODE SIX: WEAPONS FACTORY Writer: Brian Larsen Director: Giancarlo Volpe

Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode Eight First US transmission: November 13th 2009 First UK transmission: November 28th 2009 Story: With the battle raging on Geonosis, Jedi Padawan’s Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee undertake a daring, and highly dangerous mission, to infiltrate and destroy the enemy Droid factories. Review: A quieter but nonetheless efficient second part to the epic new battle of Geonosis, with a special mission for Ahsoka and the Padawan to Luminara Unduli, Barriss Offee-nicely voiced by CLONE WARS newcomer, Meredith Salenger, though looking a bit younger than I anticipated in relation to her last film appearance in ATTACK OF THE CLONES, presumably a decision made to have her and Ahsoka look more equal on visual and character terms. Making a welcome return to the saga, Barriss’s pairing with Anakin’s Padawan in their mission to destroy the Geonosian droid foundry from within, whilst their Jedi masters create a diversionary assault from outside, proves a nice idea, though, in all honesty, there wasn’t much time to create depth with their pairing beyond the fact that both represented the traits of their Masters teachings and personalities- Ahsoka being more reckless in the mission, whilst Barriss was more controlled. Added to that central idea there were lots of great action moments (the bridge top scene was terrific-I loved seeing Luminara, her usual stoic battle hardened self, and Anakin hanging underneath it setting the bomb charges, as well as some cool moments created from unused EPISODE II animatics, like the aerial sneak attack on the Clone ground forces by the Geonosians-once again it’s nice to see a non Droid enemy, and the introduction of their new tank weapons, with ray shielding, was an interesting addition to the series. There were also a few effectively creepy moments, too- the scene where Barriss, in the underground tunnels full of sleeping Geonosians, is caught in the hand of one of the insects whilst it slept, being a notable highlight. Some more of that kind of fear and atmosphere would be most welcome in future episodes, adding another effective layer to an organically improving series. AFICIONADO RATING: A simple but effective continuation of the Geonosis arc, with ever improving and refined animation. 4 out of 5

EPISODE SEVEN: LEGACY OF TERROR Writer: Eoghan Mahoney Director: Steward Lee Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode Nine First US Transmission: 20th November 2009 First UK Transmission: 5th December 2009 Notes: In the US, after transmission of this episode, the series takes a one week Thanksgiving break before resuming with Episode Eight. Story: Having disappeared whilst on the hunt for the escaped Poggle the Lesser, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi lead a clone force in search of Luminara Unduli. Entering an unknown underground region of catacombs, they encounter a new form of Geonosian-the deadly Queen of the species-as well as discovering her legion of totally subservient, undead slaves. Can the Jedi rescue Luminara before the Queen absorbs her mind into the ranks of the undead? Review: Some good old-fashioned scares and further creepy Geonosian moments make LEGACY OF TERROR another successful entry in the series. Nice to see Obi-Wan recovered for action, with Anakin, amongst some fun homages to ALIEN and its sequel, whilst the poor Clone Troopers, and Luminara Unduli to some extent, really go through it. With the current popularity of Zombies across the world, and in all types of media, their appearance in Geonosian form in both this episode, and as possessed Imperials in the recent DEATH TROOPERS novel, is most welcome, as was the concept (though kinda pinched from STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN and the Ceti Alpha eels) of their being infected as part of the Geonosian Queen’s rule of terror (I didn’t really guess that it was Dee Bradley Baker doing the vocals-great stuff, but why was she speaking basic rather than her native language??!!). And, rounding it all off for those fans really serious about things like this, Luminara finaly gets the right lightsaber to use!! AFICIONADO RATING: Nothing new concept-wise, but still atmospheric enough and beautifully animated to be entertaining. A cave busting 4

out of 5

EPISODE EIGHT: BRAIN INVADERS Writer: Andrew Kreisberg Director: Steward Lee First US transmission: 4th December 2009 First UK transmission: 12th December 2009 Made in production order: Season Two, Episode Twelve Notes: In both the US and UK, the series takes a Xmas break and airs re-runs, resuming for the formers advance transmission from January 1st 2010, the latter the end of January 2010. Story: On a medical supply mission to aid General Windu’s forces currently in fierce battle on Dantooine, Padawan’s Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee find themselves fighting for survival within their Republic frigate when the crew and Clone forces become infected by Geonosian mind control worms. Review: You’ve got to love that episode title, eh? This is a great looking episode by the ever-confident Steward Lee, with a good starting script from THE CLONE WARS newcomer Andrew Kreisberg. BRAIN INVADERS continues and successfully concludes the previous three parts of the Geonosis storyline and maintains the creepy atmosphere developed in LEGACY IN TERROR. The zombie like infected Clones scenes are handled well- scary but not too terrifying for the shows predominant younger audiences, and, like LEGACY, there are more little film homage moments- the distribution of the worm pod scene reminding me a little of 1978’s excellent re-make of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. On the visual side, it’s great to see the Blockade Runner-like interior and deep core of the Republic Medical Frigate (and kudos for a few shots recreating camera angles from A NEW HOPE), there’s more development on those intriguing worm parasites, some nice creepy horror moments, and some good lightsaber duels between Ahsoka and

the possessed Barriss, both characters having a good share of the episodes action and horror. As the situation on the cruiser deepens, things get even better towards the episodes final act when Anakin interrogates Poggle to find a solution to the dangerous worms-and a nice subtle use of the Imperial March here in a moment that is easily one of the best scenes of the episode, though the way Anakin sidelines the torture issue with his Jedi colleagues was a little weak and unresolved-surely they’ll find that the Geonosian has some serious neck injuries now!! Overall, the dark leanings towards EPISODE III are moving along nicely-there’s the scene where Ahsoka talks to Barriss about Anakin’s “radical” ideas on the way the Republic should be led, and the obvious overtones of the possessed Clone Troopers as they fire at their Jedi leaders. There’s also a nice nod to the 2003 CLONE WARS animated series episode of Mace Windu fighting on Dantooine, though LUCASFILM still doesn’t seem to officially want to tie the two animated series together continuity wise, a fact which I find most annoying. AFICIONADO RATING: Again, nothing new on the story front, but the episode was well plotted with some good moments and looked terrific. And, hey, ole smiley Kit Fisto was in it!!! 4 out of 5

EPISODE NINE: GRIEVOUS INTRIGUE

Writer: Ben Edlund Director: Giancarlo Volpe Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode 14 FIRST US TRANSMISSION: 1st January 2010: FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: 30th January 2010 STORY: When Jedi Master Eeth Koth is taken hostage and tortured by General Grievous, Anakin, Obi-Wan and Adi Gallia devise a daring rescue plan that may also finally see the capture of the feared Droid leader. But, upon their first engagement in the Saleucami system, they soon realize that Grievous has initiated a cunning entrapment plan of his own.

REVIEW: Unseen for a lengthy absence of the last half the first season, the dreaded General Grievous thankfully returns to his diabolical and vicious schemes to destroy the Jedi Knights in this excellent, almost mid-season, return. With an exciting and lengthy fight that goes some way to making up for their all too brief face off in REVENGE OF THE SITH, the duel between Grievous and Obi is nothing short of fabulousbrilliantly choreographed and full of good banter between them. One fan critic has said that these new animated episodes have gone a long way in making /rehabilitating Grievous as a more palatable and deadly force-a statement I fully agree with, and is, as always, voiced with relish by Matthew Wood. It was also a pleasure to see more of the Jedi roll call being established in this series, especially those that had previously been in the furthermost sidelines-like EPISODE ONE’s Eeth Koth (Back from an Expanded Universe demise-again, another subtle decision by Lucas impacting on the Expanded Universe and its continuity. There’s bound to be more changes when those pesky Mandalores turn up!!!), and Adi Gallia. Both characters have nice moments and some great action to partake in (I loved the opening when Koth threw Grievous against the observation glass). As ever, the ambitious animation continues to impress, with a fine space battle (utilizing previously unused OT/PT designs for the Republic fleet), some great angles (like the hyperspace jump right into Grievous ship by Anakin and the 180 degree turns of his ship as he is forced to rescue Obi and Gallia) and the aforementioned action sequences. There’s also the return of the Clone Commander Fox, now sporting a mechanical eye, those fearsome Droid Commandoes and the return of the Jedi Temple war room. This season certainly showcase THE CLONE WARS subtle harder edges-it’s going to be very interesting to see how far it goes dramatically and whether it will venture beyond its target younger demographics. AFICIONADO RATING: Straight back into action with this highly exciting tale-another terrific episode for the second season with a strong plot and dialogue from newcomer Ben Edlund (any relation to Richard?) and some great direction-the strongest yet- from Giancarlo Volpe. 5 out of 5

EPISODE TEN: THE DESERTER Writer: Carl Ellsworth

Director: Robert Dalva Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode 6 FIRST US TRANSMISSION: 1st January 2010 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: 6th February 2010 NOTES: Returning from its Xmas beak, this episode was shown in the US alongside GRIEVOUS INSTINCT as part of a special double bill relaunching the series on CARTOON NETWORK. STORY: As the hunt for General Grievous by Republic Forces spreads out across the alien plains of Saleucami, an injured Captain Rex, sheltering with a farming family, encounters a deserter Clone TrooperCut Lawquane. REVIEW: Though its not exactly anything spectacular like Geonosis or Felucia, the planet Saleucami, previously mentioned in REVENGE OF THE SITH, finally comes to life as a subtly intriguing jungle/grasslands world and proves a worthy background for THE DESERTER’s character drama and action sequences. Directed with flair by Lucas’s old friend now noted film editor, Robert Dalva (who, for all you info fans out there, was also a second unit director for the Sandpeople scenes shot in Death Valley for STAR WARS waaay back in January 1977), the previous pursuit of Grievous takes a bit of a back seat in this episodes diversion from the normal kinds of storytelling, as the ever reliable Captain Rex is injured after a commando droid sneak attack and is forced to recuperate in the unexpected company of a fellow clone, Cut Lawquane, who turns out to be a deserter from the Republic army. The early tense relationship between the pair proves interesting (the concept of Lawquane reminding me a little of the very early CLONE WARS novel called THE CESTUS DECEPTION, written by Steven Barnes-perhaps that tale, with its strong character development of one particular Clone Trooper, may have had some influences on this episode’s genesis), especially with regards to their differing views on loyalty and the Clone War, but, being a family show, any realistic conclusion to the story by series newcomer Ellsworth instead becomes something completely predictable-even though the army of commando droids show up to terrorize Cut’s family we know that they are going to get through the danger pretty much unscathed. Likewise, despite some interesting action, the same kind of predictability hampers the danger and excitement with Grievous’s final escape, too, making this

episode a beautiful looking beast with sadly very little real bite. AFICIONADO RATING: Interestingly created before the first part of this Grievous plot line, THE DESERTER is hardly a classic tale by any means, and could perhaps be considered a let down for die hard fans, but it does dare to be different and proves another intriguing change of pace. Cut Lawquane could be an interesting character to revisit if put within a stronger Saleucami based storyline at some point in the future. A nostalgic, Dejarik playing 3 out of 5

EPISODE ELEVEN: LIGHTSABER LOST Writer: Drew Z. Greenberg Director: Giancarlo Volpe Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode 6 FIRST US TRANSMISSION: 22nd January 2010 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: 12th February 2010 NOTES: After a two week transmission break, the series returns for a three week continuous run in the US. STORY: Assisting Anakin in arresting an arms dealer, Ahsoka loses her lightsaber to a thief. Unable to ask her Master for help, she enlists the aid of an elder Jedi, the Bothan Master Tera Sinube, well versed in the seedy side of Coruscant and its criminal inhabitants, in an attempt to find it, and, in doing so, discovers both a murderous plot and an agile bounty hunter. REVIEW: A charming little entry in the second season. LIGHTSABER LOST owes more than a passing nod to the work of Akira Kurosawa and his movie STRAY DOG (in which a rookie policeman similarly loses his gun to a villain). Ahsoka holds her own nicely as the star of the episode, with excellent support from the lovable new character of Jedi master Tera Sinube (great to see what a Bothan finally officially looks like after all these years!!), who I think will prove very popular with fans of all ages (I loved his very cool lightsaber/cane), voiced exceptionally by Gregory Baldwin-the mix of an elderly and young Jedi working together in the central story being an element that I found very pleasing from series script writer Drew Z. Greenberg.

Madame Jocasta Nu makes a welcome re-appearance, as do Yoda’s younglings, and we also get a chance to see a lot more of the seedy underbelly of Coruscant, seen all too briefly in EPISODEs TWO and THREE, plus a wide variety of the alien species which have helped make STAR WARS such a standout success over the years. The rest of the plot after Ahsoka begins her quest, however, is pretty humdrum (I wasn’t a great fan of the Ione Marcy character), though the sequence where she is chasing the alien killer Cassie Cryer is a fun and exhilarating homage to the free jumping chase that launched the beginning of Daniel Craig’s James Bond career with CASINO ROYALE in 2006, and is well put together by series regular stylist director Giancarlo Volpe. Plus there’s a nice little holo speech from Palpatine, written by Dave Filoni, that’s well worth looking out for. AFICIONADO RATING: A fine blending of central story idea and animation, LIGHTSABER LOST, like THE DESERTER before it, isn’t going to win any best episode of the season awards, but was overall a satisfying, general audience friendly 22 minutes, with a great introduction for Master Sinube. 3 out of 5

EPISODE TWELVE: THE MANDALORE PLOT

Writer: Melinda Hsu Director: Kyle Dunlevy Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode 13 FIRST US TRANSMISSION: January 29TH 2010 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: February 20th 2010 NOTES: An idea for a Mandalore story was originally pitched by Henry Gilroy and Dave Filoni for Season One but was turned down by George Lucas, who thought it was too early to introduce them into the Clone Wars conflict. Lucas changed his mind for Season Two. STORY: Obi-Wan Kenobi travels to the planet Mandalore to meet with the leader of the Council of Neutral Systems, the Duchess of Satine,

about a sinister new series of events transpiring on her world and affecting its people. Together, the pair travel to the segregated Mandalorian moon of Concordia to investigate the inter-linked return of a deadly super commando army called DEATH WATCH, whose reappearance could have devastating effects on the out come of the Clone Wars and against their sworn enemies- the Jedi. REVIEW: Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lone, subtle investigation in to the Mandalore plot of this adventure has the same kind of 1920’s/30’s detective style mystery that fans, for the most part, enjoyed, in the second STAR WARS Prequel, with this animated episode keeping an equally similar slowly building level of intrigue and mystery, laced with some finale action that, unlike EPISODE II, is decidedly quite small scale. Equally intriguing is the acerbic but obviously mutually attractive relationship between the Knight and the neutral leader, the Duchess Satine (intriguingly the name of Nicole Kidman’s character opposite Ewan McGregor in MOULIN ROUGE- Co-incidence? Dave Filoni and Henry Gilroy say it is!!)- again, drawing parallels to 1920/30’s Hollywood movie storytelling, the pair almost like a poshed up version of Indy and Marion from RAIDERS, with the kind of polished dialogue/camaraderie that Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn would have enjoyed if they were in an action film- prickly but loving!! And let’s not forget another type of cliffhanger with the finale factory scene, where one of our heroes is caught in another diabolical predicament!! Overall, Melinda Hsu's script was far above much of the normal animation fare we get- nice to see a lone Obi-Wan tale with a bit more character building - and a continual example of the way THE CLONE WARS is going from strength to strength in that area, and quite sophisticated. Good, too, was seeing a few more British actors partaking in the series voice work, like Julian Holloway as Prime Minister Almec, and there was also a welcome return for actor/comedian Greg Proops (who last played one of the alien commentators of the Boonta Eve pod race in EPISODE ONE) as Tal Marik.

With the Duchess Satine we finally have the first blonde lady in STAR WARS, and a Cate Blanchett look-a-like at that (a deliberate, and much welcome, move by Dave Filoni-picking an actress with a face and acting talent that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the aforementioned classic Hollywood film studio system era-with a range capable of making her both a dangerous and alluring femme fatale as well as a plucky heroine). Skilled voice talent veterans James Arnold Taylor and actress Anna Graves, as

Satine Kryze, put their experience to good use in helping the episode’s writer, Melinda Hsu (who wrote the fun episode of LOST called SOME LIKE IT HOTH in season five!!), create a believable relationship that we’ll discover more about as the next few weeks roll on (there’s obviously a lot more to his relationship with the Duchess than we think). So, THE MANDALORE PLOT had some nice moments, but I actually have to say, like Hsu’s previous SENATE SPY, I found the episode mildly disappointing (perhaps I was just hoping for something to rival ATTACK OF THE CLONES in the defining story landmark stakes). After all the recent exciting episodes, especially on Geonosis and with the return of Grievous, I was expecting something a bit more deadly, exciting and in your face confrontational and awe-inspiring from the DEATH WATCH Mandalorian warrior outcasts on Concordia (and I still prefer their original home world name of Concord Dawn-its sounds much more mysterious and evocative of them)-the few soldiers that did appear in this episode, led by Jon Favreau in a nicely surprising guest spot as Pre Vizsla (whose character was another welcome new addition to the seen on screen STAR WARS pantheon of villains), had very few good moments to shine (though once more it was nice to see the Jedi fighting off against adaptable humanoid enemies: and they certainly gave Obi a bashing at one point, though, a few minutes later, disappointingly went into dumb villain mode a few minutes later!! Why does that happen??!). I understand that this is a three part story and that the producers don’t want to play their trump cards just yet with the characters, but I hope we get to see a lot more of them en masse in a future episode, as well as discover even more about their genesishow about a flashback tale? I gather that some of the established EU history of the Mandalorians is present in this episode (including the revised addition of the EU character of Vizsla?) but much has been changed, leading to a great deal of hissing fits in the worldwide EU fan community and frustrations by certain authors, the end result of this episode being an unusual hybrid of Lucas and EU ideas that won’t please everybody. Overall, what do I think about all the changes to EU continuity that have angered the fan base? Well, its Lucas’s universe-he’s the father creator-what he says goes as far as I’m concerned the storyline is concerned. What he wants to create doesn’t have to tie in with anything that the EU does-people will just have to accept that fact and everyone, including LUCAS LICENSING and LUCAS BOOKS will adapt to the changes as they always do. Perhaps it’s time, finally, to officially just make the EU realm of STAR WARS a completely separate entity, especially now that the animated series, and the eventual live action

one, are on the air in a constant state of evolutionary flux. I have to say I’ not an expert on the Mandalore race and its warriors as so many of the EU cult are, but the ideas presented in the episode were intriguing (loved that black darksaber-bravo, Mister Lucas for that one!!), and I was curious about the reference to Jango Fett- so, is he a Mandalorian or not? My take from the dialogue between Obi and Prime Minister Almec is that he isn’t. As for the rest of the ingredients, well, once more, the look of the planet was great (the interior look of the domed city of Sundari was different to what I expected but still felt very much in the all defining and stand out STAR WARS mould-a closed in Coruscant built within a framework of cubes and glass on a white sand planet was both intriguing, contrasting nicely with the later seen forest/factory worlds of Concordia, and exciting to look at), and the direction was certainly adept and as confident as ever. So why wasn't I as fully impressed as I should have been? Well, it’s back to the Mandalorians again. As the visual forebears to Boba and Jango, I wanted something bigger and tougher than what we got (though the suicide bomber idea was pretty dark for a children’s show, I have to say!!)- we’ll have to blame the trailers for my disappointment (they just did too good a job of arousing my keen imagination and excitement for the episode). Here’s hoping that my expectations are completely satisfied by this threeparter’s conclusion and that the Mandalorians get the action they deserve. AFICIONADO RATING: The appearance of Mandalore-its civilization and its super commandos- in the series was always going to be controversial. Just how much of an impact they’ll make in THE CLONE WARS animated series is unknown, but I have high expectations of some epic conflicts to come in the next few seasons. Despite promising direction from newcomer Kyle Dunlevy, I have to give the episode a not quite what I expected 4 out of 5 (ideally it should be a 3 out of 5, but the welcome first appearance of the Mandalorians pushes it to a 4).

EPISODE THIRTEEN: VOYAGE OF TEMPTATION

Writer: Paul Dini Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell

FIRST US TRANSMISSION: 5th February 2010 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: 27th February 2010 Made in Production Order: Season One, Episode 21 NOTES: This episode was created quite some time early in the production schedule, before THE MANDALORE PLOT and THE DUCHESS OF MANDALORE. STORY: En route to Coruscant to plead the case for her system’s neutrality within the Clone Wars conflict, the Duchess Satine, traveling with her advisors and senators on her Royal starship, must rely on Obi-Wan and Anakin to defend her from a malicious series of assassination attempts. But who on board is secretly aiding the Death Watch in their cause? REVIEW: A tense journey for all concerned in the second part of the Mandalore storyline. The welcome return of Paul Dini brings some good story plotting and a nice biting interplay between ex-lovers Duchess and Obi that builds on the hints of an earlier relationship established in THE MANDALORE PLOT (nice to find out a little bit more about how he first met the Duchess when he was with Qui-Gon Jinn (c’mon, lets have a novel about this, eh?), and I loved Satine’s dialogue regarding Obi-Wan, such as "Senators, I presume you are acquainted with the collection of half-truths and hyperbole known as Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Some nice role reversal relationship moments, and teasing, too, between Anakin and Obi-Wan), then a rather traditional adventure story kicks in a short time later with nothing truly exciting about the episode bar some albeit great visual flourishes (the terrific exterior and interior look of the CORONET spacecraft, which reminded me a little bit in places of the cruise liner from THE FIFTH ELEMENT in its grandiose regal stylings) and some interesting action moments (the assassin droids), though the episode is lifted to a more notable conclusion with an excellent scene involving Anakin who, in a satisfyingly true Vader moment, has to make a critical life/death decision that only he could make. An additional plus to the tale is the return of Artoo- its feels like a very long time since we’ve last seen him, and the STAR WARS universe doesn’t feel the same without him. Sadly, the Mandalorian presence is pretty indifferent in the story-they play no real part in it and they could just as easily have been any Separatist villains in charge of the assassination plot (and at least if

Ventress or Dooku had been in it we may have had a lightsaber duel!). Instead of the Super Battle Droids, it would have been fun if the enemy boarding party had been a squad of Mandalore Commandos (I want to see Rex and Cody take ‘em on!!) but I suppose it was not to be due to this episode’s required story constraints that will lead into the finale. Unless I’m proved wrong by the next episode, I’m now starting to assume that the Mandalorian presence is indeed just a taster for something hopefully much bigger in scale further down the road, otherwise this could all be the biggest wasted opportunity of the animated series so far. AFICIONADO RATING: Some good moments of action and dialogue and the usual supreme production values, but this was pretty much a by the numbers episode for this reviewer- sophisticated, yes, but lacking the full kind of STAR WARS excitement that I expect from the series, especially when its linked to the enigmatic and dangerous Mandalorians. 3 out of 5

EPISODE FOURTEEN: DUCHESS OF MANDALORE

Writer: Drew Z. Greenberg Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode 16 FIRST US TRANSMISISON: February 12th 2010 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: March 6th 2010 NOTES: A sequence of Anakin getting ready to lead Republic soldiers to Mandalore sadly never made the episodes final cut. With this episode the show once more takes another transmission break until March 19th 2010 in the US. STORY: When a transmission from Mandalore indicates their being overrun by the Death Watch terrorist organization, the

Republic plans a pre-emptive strike/occupation of the planet- the ultimate response that Count Dooku has been waiting for in unleashing Pre Visla and his new army, firmly hand in glove with the Sith Lord and primed for battle with the Republic. The Duchess Satine, pleading the case for her planets neutrality, denounces the transmission as false, and, in a race against time before the situation escalates, goes on a secret mission within the streets of Coruscant to discover the truth, though Death Watch have also sent one of their best assassins to destroy her. Can Obi-Wan help her in time? REVIEW: A satisfying, though hardly amazing, episode, concludes the Duchess of Satine/Manadalore arc. With no real pizzazz or grandeur, or even an accelerated sense of heightened danger, it was very much the visual side of the episode, and its many links to those elements I loved from the Prequels, that made THE DUCHESS OF MANDALORE as enjoyable as it was. Great to see all the main characters back from the Republic Senate, like Palpatine (loved his brief Sidious scowl at the chamber podium near the end of the episode), the intimidating Mas Amedda, Padme and the like-I’m probably one of the few who always liked the political shenanigans and intrigue of the Senate and all its varying characters good and bad (and we also saw Mon Mothmahow cool was that!! It can’t be long now before she’s got some big stuff- perhaps alongside Bail Organa in March’s SENATE MURDERS episode?) Nice to see the animated series own pantheon of characters making cameos, too (like a second nonspeaking cameo from TRESPASS’s Senator Chuchi). As the drama plays out, and the Sith maneuvering of Satine and her people begins, our episode opening visions of armies of Mandalore soldiers going into battle fizzles out, sadly never coming to fruition (at least not yet), the race kept in a holding pattern for the foreseeable future, though the singular assassin we see striking on Coruscant certainly shows he’s up to the task of fighting a Jedi, especially one of Obi-Wan’s talents, in an interesting little combat sequence reminiscent of the Rumble in the Rain from EPISODE II (and I really loved Filoni’s incorporating some of Ralph McQuarrie’s classic paintings into the sequence, too, where the cloaked Satine and Obi-Wan covertly meet up at the plaza, as well as the Clone Troopers holding defensive shields like the early Stormtrooper concepts for STAR

WARS in 1975-its nice touches that make this show even more worth while to watch). A further note of kudos to Kevin Kiner for the excellent, and highly sinister, Manadalore theme, which made a re-appearance at certain points in this episode. Talking of the two ex-lovers, the Satine/Obi-Wan Kenobi relationship had no real resolution, either, so a future reappearance looks equally likely, though I do have a bad feeling about the Duchess’s future…. So, although this arc had a definite beginning, middle and end, this reviewer had been hoping for sooo much more. The Mandalorians certainly deserved something more epic scopebasically, they needed a plot the size of a singular movie or perhaps a feature length TV adventure, to do them the justice they truly deserve. AFICIONADO RATING: Fans of Obi-Wan Kenobi will certainly be pleased with the way he has been such a strong focus in the story-arc, but Mandalorian fans may be disappointed overall. A bucket head wearing 3 out of 5

EPISODE FIFTEEN: SENATE MURDERS Writer: Drew Z. Greenberg Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode Ten FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: March 13th 2010 FIRST US TRANSMISISON: March 19th 2010 Notes: This story was shown first on the UK SKY MOVIES PREMIERE channel, a week before the US’s CARTOON NETWORK. The UK will now see the rest of the series from this point in an uninterrupted run and before its US counterparts. Story: As Padme and her fellow senators prepare to counter against a new bill sanctioning the Republic’s increased production of Clone soldiers in the escalating war, one of her dearest friends is poisoned,

leading the Naboo politician, alongside Bail Organa of Alderaan, to discover the murderous culprit. Review: The Coruscant political arena becomes more dangerous than ever for Padme and her closest friends in SENATE MURDERS. It’s great to see her and Bail Organa working together again (and involved in some action, too), as is seeing them immersed in with what will ultimately become the Delegation of 2000 committee against the actions of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in EPISODE III. Catherine Taber once again impresses as Padme and her scripted character is fine throughout, too -I especially liked that knock out punch she gives the villain at the end!! It’s always nice to have any story with Bail Organa though I would prefer Jimmy Smits to be back as his voice. Rumours that Smits was returning to the role now seem unfounded. Another plus was a nice little scene for the serene but powerful Mon Mothma. With so much of their political resistance cut out from the final edit of REVENGE OF THE SITH, this building collection of senate involving episodes is overall a positive step in restoring their believability in their attempts to stop the Clone War from escalating further. The introduction of the corrupt Kaminoan senator, Halle Burtoni -proof that not everyone in that race is so seemingly benign- was a pleasing addition-more please. Onocanda Farr, or “Uncle” as Padme would lovingly refer to him, proves the perfect choice to kill off for the story, and adds some depth to both Padme and to the intrigues and powerplays going on within the Senate, though the sinister and intriguing Mee Deechi was killed off way too early in the episode and could have been an effective recurring obstacle for our heroes. However, the Republic inspector Divo (I’ll just call him Div!!), a bumbling, over-gesticulating character whose facial features had more than a passing resemblance to the excellent British actor Toby Jones, though probably a very good idea on paper-I’m sure they were hoping to make him a loveable COLUMBO-type- lacked a decent execution onscreen and his vocal playing by Tom Kenny was a misstep to this reviewer, much like Seth Green was as Todo earlier in the seasonboth roles looked like they had come straight off the set of a direct-toDVD- DISNEY film rather than belonging to the STAR WARS universe as believable characters. If this is first of many future appearances for Divo, then I really hope they get better. In an adventure so full of characters, what about the actual story itself, though? Well, pretty basic and hardly anything classic on the STAR WARS front, to be honest-all conveniently tied up with no sense

of serious challenge to our heroes within its twenty two minute running time, with Padme discovering the truth in so quick a time as to probably make Agatha Christie and Jessica Fletcher green with envy!. Helping greatly to redeem the tale were the beautiful minutae that continually adds depth to the STAR WARS universe- loved the nicely staged cinematography where the Republic cruiser departs Coruscant with Onocanda’s body, and the return of Palpatine’s blue honour guards. And one final bit of praise for Ian Abercombie who really is marvelous as Palpatine- the other Ian- McDiarmid- would be proud of his animation voice counter-part. AFICIONADO RATING: Though an improvement on SENATE SPY with regards to Padme, it may have been a mistake having two Senate related episodes in a row-to have broken it up with CAT & MOUSE, an Anakin space adventure, in the middle may have been a better idea, especially for the US as there has been quite a long break between episode transmissions recently. Overall, SENATE MURDERS attempts to keep the political arena less heavy and more involving but is, in the end, only a mild success, though Catherine Taber shines throughout and always makes it worth the viewer’s investment of time. 3 out of 5

EPISODE SIXTEEN: CAT AND MOUSE Writer: Brian Larsen Director: Kyle Dunlevy MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: Season Two, Episode Seventeen FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: 20TH March 2010 FIRST US TRANSMISSION: 27TH March 2010 Story: Blockaded by a Separatist fleet led by the cunning alien, General Trench, Bail Organa is trapped on Christophsis with his relief teams, and in dire need of help. Whilst Anakin and Admiral Yularen’s task force try to penetrate the blockade, Obi-Wan offers new hope in the form of a prototype cloaked ship.

Review: Back to the kind of space adventure fare we haven’t seen since the first part of the Ryloth trilogy, Anakin plays a deadly war game against a clever and unusual alien tactician, a legend at destroying enemy ships, in CAT AND MOUSE. Lots of elements of this episode reminded me of the close combat scenes of STAR TREK movies II and VI (right down to the destruction of Trench’s bridge, echoing the death of Christopher Plummer’s General Chang in VI) with a little bit of the wartime submarine drama U-571 (and THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, too) atmosphere thrown in. Even Kevin Kiner’s music had a touch of the WRATH OF KHAN about it. None of these observations are meant to be negative but it does show you how Classic STAR TREK continues to affect STAR WARS and vice versa. In combat, Anakin’s tactics continue to be daring, as does his further disobeying of Obi-Wan’s orders (again (!), and prior to the arrival of Ahsoka). Equally calculating is the enemy’s dangerous Admiral Trench (another well realized villain-his spider form being a cool visual motifnice to see more alien species that are part of the Separatist forceskeep ‘em coming) I loved the new ship design for the stealth vessel (a snazzy upgrade on the Discovery craft seen in 2001: A SPACE ODYESSEY if ever I saw one) and its equally snazzy Clone complimentfans may wonder what a cloaked ship-an idea common in most other science fiction series- may be doing in a STAR WARS series but the idea of this type of vessel had been mentioned as early as THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, so its place in the series is justified, plus there were some nice scenes between Admiral Yularen and Anakin (technically, thei relationship is brand new here-this is the first episode of the series before both THE HIDDEN ENEMY and the animated theatrical pilot (originally the opening episode of the TV series, to have been called THE NEW PADAWAN, which was expanded into the eventual film), and a great little cameo from Bail Organa, where its nice to see him away from Coruscant and getting mixed in with relief duties across the Republic. The fascinating world of Christophsis makes its third enjoyable return to the STAR WARS universe also, which again is most welcome-though it would be nice to see more of its people and culture in a later episode, perhaps. AFICIONADO RATING: Whilst there was very little that was actually new within Brian Larsen’s straightforward script, it was still exciting stuff, well told as ever, and a nice change of pace from the Coruscant episodes. 4 out of 5

EPISODE SEVENTEEN: BOUNTY HUNTERS

Writer: Carl Ellsworth Director: Steward Lee MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: Season Two, Episode Nineteen FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: 27th March 2010 FIRST US TRANSMISSION: 2nd April 2010 STORY: Crash landed on Felucia, Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka join forces with some hired Bounty Hunters to protect some of the planets local farmers from the greed and cruelty of space pirates who, it turns out, are being led by the Weequay known as Hondo Ohnaka. Can the Jedi reason with old enemy Hondo, or will a battle to protect the oppressed farmers be on the cards? REVIEW: THE SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa-it’s an old and classic story which filmmakers always find fresh ways to re-make and bring to life. There’s been one foray into the sci-fi movie re-make arena with Roger Corman’s BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, but now Lucas takes his old friends tale and gives it the animated STAR WARS treatment it deserves (and beyond a similar, more quirky STAR WARS MARVEL comic tale written by Roy Thomas in 1977), creating a fine and enduring tribute to his late friend’s work with the CLONE WARS episode BOUNTY HUNTERS (though concept-wise there are also obvious parallels to early Season One episodes like last years DEFENDERS OF PEACE, with a similar score from Kevin Kiner!!). Making a villainous comeback after another Lucas inspired two parter from last year, this episode sees a much better, more ambitious use for pirate Hondo Ohnaka, with his character lines now drawn towards him being a bit more ruthless and dangerous in his dealings with the Felucian farmers and their Jedi/Bounty Hunter protectorates (though there are still a few nice bits of comedy dialogue to enjoy, too, like "Speak softly, and drive a big tank!!"). Also welcome alongside Hondo is the return of his naughty Kowakian Monkey Lizard buddy, Muk MukI loved the scene where he was manning the tank cannon in battle and also when he was trying to eat Anakin’s leg in order to protect his master. Though the farmer aliens the Pirates threaten prove no great shakes-a bit of a wet lot, here- there is some nice interplay between the other characters to compensate, with the Bounty Hunters deservedly get the most spotlight in this episode. I liked the idea of seeing some of them as being reasonably friendly, though they prove

as equally tough as some of the Jedi’s past opponents in the field, like Cad Bane. The varied look of them and their unique abilities was also another nice plus, with the two stand out characters for me being the highly impressive Embo (voiced by Dave Filoni no less!!- great in the action sequences and with a very cool metal hat!!) and Seripas, the little guy in the robot suit. Some of the excellent rendered action scenes of them in battle alongside the Jedi and against the pirates were beautifully rendered, and reminded me a little bit of the kind of fast paced angles and moves seen in the terrific KUNG FU PANDA!! I’m assuming there will have to be a sequel to this tale at some point explaining what happened to the farmers prior to THE HOLOCRON HEIST and its full Separatist invasion of Felucia. Another pleasing touch in this episode was the early scene with a small herd of Rancors (looking like the one cut from the CLONE WARS movie) – a welcome little visual treat, as was the return of George Lucas’s favourite flying saucer!! AFICIONADO RATING: A warm tribute to the legendary director Akira Kurosawa by his friend Lucas if ever I saw one (right down to the episode’s opening dedication), this was a lovely tale that was great fun to watch, with a nice balance between action and danger, perils and laughter-I have a feeling this particular band of Bounty Hunters will reappear in later seasons. Yet another triumphant entry for Season Two. 4 out 5

EPISODE EIGHTEEN: THE ZILLO BEAST Writer: Craig Titley Director: Giancarlo Volpe MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: Season Two, Episode Twenty Two FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: 3rd April 2010 FIRST US TRANSMISSION: 9th April 2010 STORY: Wanting to secure a vital trade deal for their planets heavy fuel resources, the Jedi and the Clone Army assist the Malastarian’s ward off a huge Separatist army with the help of a new weapon- the prototype proto-electron bomb. Though the device proves a success, its detonation brings to the surface an even deadlier weapon of a more organic kind-the mighty Zillo Beast-a legendary creature living

underground which proves indestructible. Though Palpatine wants to destroy the beast so as to push the trade agreement through with the Dugs, the Jedi, Mace Windu in particular, are reluctant to follow his order, unwilling to destroy a creature that proves to be the last of its kind. Can some kind of compromise be reached in trapping the creature before it tears the planet and its peoples apart? REVIEW: STAR WARS meets GODZILLA and its smash, smash, smash for our poor Clone Troopers, as the Zillo Beast makes its first largerthan-life appearance in George Lucas’s universe, in ways much similar to the origins of the classic Japanese beast it homages (in that a manmade detonation/seismic event wakens it from its underground home allowing it to wreak havoc (for the Japanese population we now have those charming Dugs-nice to see them back en masse, as we find out that its not just Sebulba that’s devious and crafty-it’s the whole race!!). Craig Titley’s second script for the series may come across as pretty basic but its good fun nonetheless. Look out for more classic examples of CLONE WARS dialogue referencing other classic film sources, too (I liked the adaptation of the RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK Indy/Sallah dialogue to Mace and Anakin (“You go first!!”), plus further cool visual references to the Toho Studios series (so see if you can spot them), and the return of the infamous Wilhelm scream! And what about the actual star of the show? Well, old Zillo was certainly an intriguing new beast for the STAR WARS universe’s ever growing collection of alien wonders- well designed and animated, and enjoyably fearsome, but designed in a way that kids in particular will enjoy without being too scared of it. Kudos also to Mace Windu (welcome back-you haven’t really been in it much since CHILDREN OF THE FORCE- whose pairing in this tale with the pre-EPISODE III Anakin works pretty well), and the other Jedi, for not wanting to destroy what is more than likely the last of its kind (and, in the process, giving us all a nice little moral message with regards to the need to preserve the endangered species living in our own modern world). The action of this episode in and around the beast’s revival is generally great on all fronts, from the spectacular ground and air battle that launches the episode between Republic and Separatist forces (I was thrilled to see the ARC-170 fighters being introduced into the series-so where does this tale now fit into the overall time scale-I’m assuming this adventure is much nearer REVENGE OF THE SITH?), to the Clones and Jedi then trying to fend off the advances of the awakened creature (I liked seeing the Republic’s technology being rendered absolutely useless against it, and the same with the Jedi, too, with the great

scene where Anakin leaps into battle against the beast but proves equally powerless with his saber (in the end needing the ever heroic Artoo to jet back and rescue him-a nice touch)), to their finally, only just, knocking it out with concentrated concussion beams (I liked the diabolically enthusiastic look on Palpatine’s face when he’s told of the creatures natural abilities to ward off heavy weaponry, plus his subtle baiting of Windu for his not wanting to kill it). Stopped the Zillo Beast eventually is, but, oh boy, the worst is yet to come! AFICIONADO RATING: This gargantuan tales gives the animation teams a chance to flex and push their digital talents even further, pushing their visual ambitions and creativity ever forward and bringing to life an adventure and star creature that will hopefully become highly memorable with fans of all ages (and who doesn’t like seeing big monsters smash things up spectacularly!!). We can’t wait to see old Zill’ let loose, CLOVERFIELD-style, on Coruscant in the next episode. 3 out of 5

EPISODE NINETEEN: THE ZILLO BEAST STRIKES BACK Writer: Steven Melching Director: Steward Lee MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: Season Two, Episode Twenty-Three First UK Transmission: 10th April 2010 First US Transmission: 16th April 2010 Story: Now transferred to a secure research facility on Coruscant, Chancellor Palpatine, keen to tap the Zillo Beast’s genetic make-up so as to develop armour resistant to heavy weaponry, orders the creatures demise for biological study, against the wishes of both the Jedi and Padme Amidala. It’s not long, however, before the angry Zillo beast has other plans- escaping its bonds. Hungry for revenge against its enslavers, it smashes its way into the very heart of the cityscape. Can Anakin and the Jedi find a way of stopping it that doesn’t resort to genocide?

Review: RAMPAGE ON CORUSCANT!! This great adventure romp made the most of pretty much all of its ensemble cast-great to see Threepio and Artoo back together again, especially- and there were some terrific little scenes to savour-Yoda and Aayla Secura leaping onto the beast to buy time, Anakin rescuing Padme in a nice cliffhanger moment, Obi and Mace using their Force powers combined to stop disaster, Artoo rescuing Palpataine (if only he’d had dropped him, Artoo could have saved the Republic so much pain and suffering in the years to come!!) Backed with the superb creature animation as it wreaks carnage across Coruscant, THE ZILLO BEAST STRIKES BACK was an example of all the tremendous scope and range for STAR WARS that it wasn’t able to incorporate into its movie life. I loved all the GODZILLA, CLOVERFIELD, VALLEY OF GWANGI and KING KONG references throughout the tale (sadly, there was no Fay Wray moment for Padme with the beast but perhaps there will be in the future) - it certainly gave THE HULK a run for his money against those Republic gun ships!!- and it was actually very sad when it was killed-a victim of fate and greed (in fact, you could say this was a story about two kinds of “beast”-one, the Zillo, fighting against all odds, just wanting to survive in the natural order of the universe, and the other, Palpatine/ Sidious, comprised of a far nastier and vicious dispositionthis time it’s the human evil that dwarves the bulky monster!! Ian Abercombie as Palpatine was once again a pure evil delight throughout this episode (and his final scene/line of dialogue was excellent) - no wonder the creature was determined to take a lump out of him –we were with you all the way, Zil’!!). With the creation of this monster two parter, its funny how, back in 1997 the STAR WARS team were kind of chastising the US version of GODZILLA (an internal ILM poster at that time proudfully declaring, in reference to EPISODE ONE, that “Plot DOES matter!”), yet how things have changed…now the CLONE WARS universe has a beast with the same kind of size and destructive power to rival Japan’s favourite city crushing icon. I guess what goes around eventually comes around, eh. Special credit for the sound team, too, with the creatures realizationthey really helped give it believability (I also loved the use of the 1940’s air raid warning sirens blaring when it attacked), especially towards the end with some brilliant work representing the tragic death throes of the gassed beast, backed with a fine KING KONG-esque score from Kevin Kiner. Some terrific camera angles and bits of comedy mayhem also added

greatly to the final episode-in fact, more damage was probably inflicted on Coruscant in this than anything seen from the huge opening atmosphere space battle later seen in EPISODE III (in which the city looked pretty untarnished!!). Once again, the very basic plot didn’t matter-it was the creature carnage that we were we all wanted to see, and this was another grand effort from Dave Filoni and the Gang that was much better than I ever expected, and a fine conclusion to the Zillo Beast arc (or is it?). Wrapping things off, it was equally fun to see the line, “I have a bad feeling about this,” now being used by Palpatine. It seems that not even the citizens of the Dark Side are immune from saying such iconic words!! AFICONADO RATING: It’s not easy being a Zillo Beast!! Superior to its opening part, THE ZILLO BEAST STRIKES BACK was another winning episode of the series. A creature-tastic 4 out of 5

EPISODE TWENTY: DEATH TRAP Writer: Doug Petrie Director: Steward Lee MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: Season Two, Episode Fifteen FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: April 17th 2010 FIRST US TRANSMISSION: April 23rd 2010 Story: Infiltrating a Clone training mission on the Republic Cruiser Endeavour, the young bounty hunter-to-be, Boba Fett, is determined at all costs to exact his revenge on Mace Windu-the Jedi who killed his father during the Battle of Geonosis. Review: Finally, after eight years, that all-important question of just what happened with young Boba Fett in between the period of EPISODEs II and III, is finally answered. And in a most satisfying way, too, with the first of his three part epic re-introducing him to the Sagaimmersed in a well constructed script from newcomer Doug Petriebefore he dons the rusty Mandalorian armour we know and love him for.

I was a bit unsure about how Boba would be exactly brought into the series (done at Lucas’s specific request, apparently) especially whilst still an angry young child, but what could have been problematic was effortlessly realized on screen, and the opening sequence where he was smuggled in with the other Clone Troopers was excellent and well thought out. The little urges to kill, but not quite (though it surely won’t be too long before the disintegrations start!!), proved interesting, and Daniel Logan did a very good voice job standalone and alongside Dee Bradley Baker as the rest of the Clone children. The only thing missing was Daniel’s Boba laugh-perhaps that’s being saved for the last episode. With revenge on Mace clearly on his mind (so much so that the Jedi should have picked up who he was when he walked past him on the Republic cruiser), Boba couldn’t have gotten a more accomplished Bounty Hunter teacher, mentor and planner in all things chaos and destruction than the mysterious Aurra Sing, who had a great little cameo here, which also saw the actress/model finally getting some meaty dialogue (with more to come). There was also the terrific first appearance of Slave One (and that welcome ominous sound of its engines tearing up space). Jedi Mace Windu continues to be as steadfast and cooled in his attitudes towards Anakin as always- almost treating him with attitude and disdain at times- obviously building up on the uneasy relationship between the pair that will prove catastrophic in EPISODE III-and their pairing in the next couple of episodes is going to be very intriguing, especially with Anakin against Fett- considering the later kind of evil partnership they will have in the Classic Trilogy, Anakin shares similar problems with boy Boba with regards to not having a father, as well as certain aggression issues, which will be very interesting to explore if they go down the route-presumably much later in the series run, and after this opening three-parter. Perhaps Anakin may later, unconsciously, hinder Mace in his attempts to capture the boy. On the supporting guest voice side of things, UK actor Julian Holloway’s tough, Scottish Republic commander Kilian (named after Plunkett we presume!!) was a welcome standout addition to the series (I’m assuming Holloway got the accent job because Simon Pegg was too busy playing Montgomery Scott in STAR TREK!!), though it also reminded me of Holloway’s previous Scottish sci-fi role, as the out of his depth Sergeant Patterson in the original, classic DOCTOR WHO story from 1989: SURVIVIAL. As usual, there was also the nice visual touches adding to the episode, like the gun port firing scene, the shots

of the Endeavour docking (very EPISODE IV!!), and the brief cameo of everyone’s favourite Trandoshan- Bossk. Playing only slightly against the tale, however, was its disappointing ending, with the abandoned boy clones being discovered by Anakin and Mace too easily and quickly. Boba’s deliberately choosing to strand his brothers in space forever would have been a far more dramatic, uncomfortable and satisfying end-the first true stages to his relationship with the dented helmet being cemented. I’m sure many fellow fans will have been equally annoyed a little with the resolution, but, at the end of the day, it’s a family show with morals, so our personal EMPIRE misery-like expectations were never going to be realized. AFICIONADO RATING: Despite the aforementioned ending, this was a fantastic start to Boba Fett’s epic, audience pleasing three part adventure, and was certainly very worthy of the STAR WARS name, feeling a little bit more adult in the storytelling stakes. 4.5 out of 5

EPISODE TWENTY-ONE: R2 COME HOME Writer: Eoghan Mahony Director: Giancarlo Volpe MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: Season Two, Episode Eighteen First UK transmission: 24th April 2010 First US transmission: 30th April 2010 Notes: In the US, this episode was shown as part of a finale one-hour double bill on CARTOON NETWORK on 30th April 2010, a week after its previous exclusive premiere in the UK. Story: With Anakin and Mace now arrived on Vanquor to look for survivors of the crashed Republic cruiser Endeavour, the duo are unaware that Boba Fett and his bounty hunter colleagues have sprung a deadly new trap against them. Trapped under heavy debris on the vessels bridge, which is now about ready to explode, can R2 escape the planet, and Boba Fett, to get help? Review: The Boba Fett revenge saga keeps up the pace with its second installment, with Daniel Logan once more getting some fine character material to work with, especially alongside Jamie King as the almost

surrogate mother hen-like teacher/murderer, Aurra Sing. Will she continue into the future to be his ultimate trainer in the ways of bounty-dom? The episode, scripted by veteran Eogahn Mahony was well constructed (he seems to be born to do episodes that are of a darker framing) and animated with verve and style once again by another CW vet, Giancarlo Volpe-its funny how you can see his style of animation direction more clearly than many others who’ve worked on the show (with the exception of Dave Filoni and the now sadly departed Rob Coleman). Setting the episode for the most part in and outside the remains of the devastated and fracturing Republic cruiser was inspired and lent itself to lots of tension and atmosphere. It was interesting to see the often-uneasy Mace/Anakin dynamic from the previous episode explored more fully, as was seeing the neat pairing between Artoo and Areight (before its unfortunate demise-some droids just don’t have the luck!!). With their booby trap soon sprung-good use of Jango’s helmet!!- the bounty hunters keen anticipation to recover Mace’s head was well established and it was great to see such a varied mixture of alien characters alongside Boba-another nice nod to EMPIRE’s previous Bounty Hunters assembled sequence. Of the group, Castas proved annoying, though Bossk was terrific, with a brilliant rasping and reptilian voice that was perfectly brought to life by Dee Bradley Baker. Other creatures it was pleasing to see again for EMPIRE’s anniversary year were the Gundarks, one of which is taken out in a crowd-pleasing scene, where Artoo sends it, attached to a starfighter, crashing into the remains of the Endeavour. Wonderful stuff and I laughed out loud and applauded the little droids cunning. And, as the title said, this was Artoo’s episode-certainly as the Jedi were conveniently, but effectively, incapacitated- and our favourite little astro droid certainly gave Lassie a run for his money in the getting help against all odds stakes, didn’t he? The way he was immersed in the story was great and it was fun seeing him using all the internal gadgets at his disposal to beat back the bounty huntersthere was one moment where I felt he was almost re-enacting a scene from the first HOME ALONE movie when he dropped debris down on the ascending trio of villains!. And his formidable talents as a star fighter pilot, in a terrific and tense race against time scene, against Slave One, to get to the in orbit hyperspace rings, certainly could give Anakin a surprise. All in all, this episodes use of Artoo was far more ingenious and effective than in his previous Season One’s stories as main star.

AFICIONADO RATING: This story trilogy is getting better and the animation this week was superb. One of the series very best. I’m very much looking forward to Part Three. Here’s hoping it ends on an even more spectacular note: 4.5 out of 5

EPISODE TWENTY-TWO: LETHAL TRACKDOWN Writers: Dave Filoni and Drew Z. Greenberg Director: Dave Filoni MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: Season Two, Episode Twenty First US Transmission: April 20th 2010 First UK Transmission: May 1st 2010 Note: This story was shown in the US as a season finale double bill with R2 COME HOME. Story: With Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker recovering from their injuries previously sustained on Vanquor, and a threatening ransom message now received for Windu’s life, Ahsoka Tano and Plo Koon, having found clues in the dense realms of the Coruscant underworld, make haste to the planet Florrum to stop Boba Fett, Aurra Sing and her Bounty Hunter posse from killing two of the Endeavour’s captured officers, including Admiral Kilian. Review: There must be a new STAR WARS mantra out there in Lucas Land: if Plo’s in it, then Dave’s gonna do it!! And I’m sure the Great Maker himself is only too happy with his results. Yep, that man with the hat Filoni is back in the full directorial seat for this fast paced, critical finale to the entire second season, re-establishing the same kind of serious tone for the next series in the way that HOSTAGE CRISIS did in linking Season One into Season Two. Between them (Filoni and series writer Drew Z. Greenberg) they’ve got the rare choice of penning what must have been one of the coolest story ideas they’ve had in a short while (the conclusion to the overall Fett trilogy), and it’s nice to see Filoni let loose creatively in this episode (there’s some great visual imagery, like the Coruscant nightlife sequence, and with Slave One) that I’m sure he’s been busting to release to fans over the years, and he also gets to add some nice touches of dark edginess and brutality here and there (in a nod to THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK-

his favourite STAR WARS film), like the killing of Clone Commander Ponds and his subsequent jettisoning into space, and the bloodthirsty Aurra Sing’s calculated shooting in the back of Castas (handy for the writers, too, as they needed a way for the bounty hunters to be tracked down!!), without damaging the shows overall family adventure tone. Despite such great talent at work, however, the final shape of LETHAL TRACKDOWN doesn’t ultimately feel like a wholly satisfactory end to the season or the Boba Fett trilogy-we’ve been with Windu and Skywalker for two previous episodes and we the viewers expected them to have some kind of involvement, alongside Ahsoka Tano and Plo Koon, in wrapping things up. Pairing Plo and his ex-Padawan was a nice idea but done at the wrong time and at the expense of the overall story, no matter how neat an idea the CLONE WARS team thought it would be- doing something that went against the traditional grain in the evolving story process. Mace’s eventual final scene with the arrested Boba was also a major let-down, and the dialogue between the pair-with Mace basically telling Boba to get used to the fact that his father’s dead, and that’s the end of it!- seemed too short and undeveloped. I know that the Jedi don’t take revenge but, unless that aspect is re-awakened to a stroner, more developed degree later in the series run, it fell a little flat. Ultimately, bar Boba, this episode was now Ahsoka’s chance for the spotlight after a run of episodes she hadn’t appeared in much, with her character seeming more mature now and her place in the series fully confirmed. She had some great sequences, especially in the actionfrom her speeder bike chasing Aurra Sing, to her fight to stop Slave One at the end (very cool moment when she clipped one of its wings off with her saber, and its subsequent crash (though we think the explosion was faked and that Sing, the queen of cold, escaped)). Plo Koon also proved a good support throughout- I really liked the complex little fight sequence he and Ahsoka had when taking on Aurra and Boba in the darkened gambling table room-very western like (did you notice that cool little Spaghetti Western-like score for Boba Fett from Kevin Kiner?) Though our favourite Trandoshan, Bossk, was ultimately wasted in the entire tale (boo!!), Hondo Ohnaka’s brief non-story advancing cameo was great fun, as was the revelation of his fling with Sing (loved his “he’s not one of mine?” question to her about little Boba!!). Jamie King was excellent throughout the three-parter as the notorious Sing-now a character we can’t wait to see return at a hopefully not too distant point- boy, has she got some serious attitude problems!!- though hopefully not to the detriment of that other bald lady of darkness we

like: Asajj Ventress. As for poor Fett, well, he wasn’t shortchanged, but there was no more real character development beyond his juvenile hatred and desire, and whining, for justice against Mace. I’m assuming the producers will slowly but surely enhance the character in further appearances over the next few years towards his eventual Classic Trilogy state. And there’s bound to be some kind of major jailbreak on Coruscant in the near future. AFICIONADO RATING: I can’t quite pin my finger on it, but the episode felt as if it ended a bit too abruptly. Despite some great sequences, it was a little underwhelming after the previous two fun episodes (again, all the previous LUCASFILM hype may have hurt our viewing experiences prior to transmission-building our expectations up just too high), with a satisfying yet not quite taking your breath away with excitement kind of conclusion to the season. It was, however, a far superior ending to what was seen in the previous Mandalore Trilogy. 4 out of 5 AFICIONADO SEASON REVIEW: With more ambition in the story and animation departments, Season Two of THE CLONE WARS, with what was an intriguing mixture of tales, was a marked improvement over its premiere year in many ways-a commendable effort by Lucas and Filoni’s hard working team. However, Season One still has the edge over it with some better scripts and faster paced episodes, often with more satisfying conclusions, too. With the exception of the majority of the Geonosis saga (including the superb LANDING AT POINT RAIN opener), not all of the Season Two mini-arc episodes lived up to their initial promises (the Mandalorian Saga, in retrospect, was a let-down), and some of the individual stories seemed a little bit weak in final development. However, episodes not too bogged down in continuity, like the superb Season One holdover CARGO OF DOOM, and the Zillo Beast two parter, proved great fun, as was the MAGNIFICENT SEVENesque BOUNTY HUNTERS. Also, a special mention of the terrific GRIEVOUS INTRIGUE-which got the season’s second half transmission batch off to a great start. Let’s hope that the General has more than a few dangerous encounters with Jedi next year, and that we also have the return of Asajj Ventress and Count Dooku. Overall, the RISE OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS title for the season worked as a marketing idea but didn’t quite live up to its

promise as lengthy story potential-with the exception of Cad Bane and Aurra Sing there weren’t enough of the baddies and their evil-dom through the series (especially as one showcase episode, the aforementioned BOUNTY HUNTERS, showed a group of them fighting primarily as paid goodies!!). Hopefully, next season will have more of a stronger core focus if they return to the concept of the umbrella theme-from the trailer we’re assuming part of the 2010/2011 series might be linked to Filoni’s previously mentioned return of Jabba and his Hutt clans. We look forward to the future of the series, and what looks like a darker road for the character of Ahsoka Tano to travel, with great anticipation. Roll on, next October!! OVERALL SEASON RATING: 3.5 OUT OF 5

SEASON THREE: SECRETS REVEALED MAIN PRODUCTION CREDITS Created by and Executive Producer: George Lucas Produced by Cary Silver Supervising Director (including additional dialogue and story material): Dave Filoni Staff Writers: Scott Murphy, Katie Lucas, Brian Larsen Supervising writer: Drew Z Greenberg

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS made by LUCASFILM ANIMATION Distributed worldwide by WARNER BROTHERS

VOICE CAST Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano Catherine Taber as Padme Amidala Anthony Daniels as See-Threepio James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi / Plo Koon/Various voices Dee Bradley Baker as the Clone Troopers/Saesee Tiin/Various voices Tom Kane as Yoda / Admiral Yularen / Tactical Droid / Narrator Nika Futterman as Asajj Ventress/Sy Snootles/Gardulla the Hutt/Various voices Corey Burton as Count Dooku/ Cad Bane/ Ziro the Hutt/ Various voices Terrence "TC" Carson as Mace Windu Ian Abercrombie as Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious Matthew Wood as General Grievous/BattleDroids/Poggle the Lesser Olivia D’Abo as Luminara Unduli Brian George as Ki-Adi-Mundi Tom Kenny as Nute Gunray Phil Lamarr as Kit Fisto/ Bail Organa Jennifer Hale as Aayla Secura James Mathis III as Captain Typho Meredith Salenger as Barriss Offee

NOTABLE GUEST VOICE ARTISTS

Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn (Episode 15-16) Pernilla August as Shmi Skywalker (Episode 15) Clancy Brown as Savage Opress (Episode 13 and 14) Barbara Goodson as Mother Talzin (Episodes 12-14) Tasia Valenza as Shaak Ti (Episodes I and 2) Brian George as King Katuunko (Episode 3 and 14) Seth Green as Todo (Episode 8 and 9), Ion Papanoida (Episode 4) Tom Kenny as Inspector Divo (Episode 4), Greedo (Episode 4) Kevin Michael Richardson Richardson as Jabba the Hutt (Episode 4, 8, 9), Marlo the Hutt (Episode 9) Katie Soucie as Mon Mothma (Episode 10)/ various voices Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks (Episode 3) Gideon Emery as Lotte Dodd (Episode 10) Stephen Stanton as Mas Amedda (Episode 10) Jennifer Hale as Senator Riyo Chuchi (Episode 4) Robin Atkin Downes as Jedi Di (Episode 3), various voices Jamie King as Aurra Sing (Episode 7) Al Rodrigo as Quinlan Vos (Episode 9) James Mathis III as Captain Typho (Episode 7) Daniel Logan as Clone trainees (Episode 2) Anna Graves as Duchess Satine Kryze (Episode 5/6) Phil LaMarr as Orn Free Taa (Epiosdes 10 and 11) Jennifer Green as Senator Riyo Chuchi (Episode 4) Julian Holloway as Prime Minister Almec (Episodes 5 and 6) Al Rodrigo as Quinlan Vos (Episode 9)

Angelique Perrin as various voices Stephen Stanton as Captain Tarkin (Episodes 18-20) Blair Bess as Even Piell (Episodes 18-20) Gwendoline Yeo as various voices Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca (Episode 22)

Note: the episode synopsis shown here come from STARWARS.COM

EPISODE ONE: CLONE CADETS Writer: Cameron Litvack Director: Dave Filoni Made in Production Order: Season 3, Episode 1 First US transmission date (CARTOON NETWORK): 17/9/2010 First UK transmission date (SKY MOVIES PREMIERE): 23/10/2010

STORY: Five headstrong clone cadets struggle to complete their training on the ocean planet of Kamino. Unable to work together as a team, they must learn to embrace their future as soldiers before they are drummed out of the academy.

REVIEW: Teamwork and comradeship to survive and thrive seems to be the order of the day, and the main moral message for children and families watching the season three opener: CLONE CADETS. The presentation of the message is a bit heavy handed in some parts of its scripting, but some strong direction from Dave Filoni plus the re-use of the popular Clone characters from ROOKIES (here known as Domino Squad: Echo, Fives, Hevy, Droidbait and Cutup), in a prequel tale set

before the events of that popular season one story, puts the episode a cut above the norm. There’s also the great visuals of Kamino stunningly realized and the welcome introduction to the series of Master Shaak Ti (nicely voiced by Tasia Valenza), in a nice nod to the DARK HORSE Clone Wars comics written between EPISODES II and III, acting as the overseer general to the clones intense training to become elite soldiers. Shaak has been brilliantly conceived for the animation format, with a Spanish voice from actress that works well for the role. Its intriguing to see that the Jedi, caught in the crossfire of the Clone Wars and seriously undermanned, having to resort to using Bounty Hunters themselves as part of their training process-which makes a logical sense-after all, the clones were born from a bounty hunter-Jango Fett-so to have several of them (including a fun appearance from a “brainiac” (also known as Brainee) creature and ElLes (T-head) (both seen as alien races from the first STAR WARS cantina scene)) involved in their further development should make them even more efficient in battle. There’s clones aplenty in this tale, obviously, but special mention should be made to the character of 99, whom we assume was one of the unsuccessful early clone tests of the Kaminoans during the secret events born between EPISODEs I and II. Though he voices all the clones with great skill, Dee Bradley Baker’s work on bringing the clone who could never be a soldier to life was well handled (and I hope that Baker eventually gets some more money for voicing so many characters in one go!). Watching this episode, fans will surely love the detail that builds on the Clone Trooper characters and the behind the scenes of their lives in and out of training on Kamino (great to see the EPISODE II designed, but previously unseen, barracks, sleeping chambers and indoor battle testing ground). And I think we’ll be seeing more of Commander Colt – who looks set to be even more badass than Captain Rex (if that’s possible!)

AFICIONADO RATING: Perhaps a little underwhelming as the episode opener, and the plot may not have been exactly original, either, but CLONE CADETS was nonetheless a solid, subtle beginning to Year Three-and, as I’m sure it was intended, acts as an intriguing scene setter prelude to the major events of companion installment, ARC TROOPERS. Oh, and I liked the nice if obvious in-joke to THX-1138, too! 3.5 out of 5

EPISODE TWO: ARC TROOPERS Writer: Cameron Litvack Director: Kyle Dunlevy Made in Production Order: Season 3, Episode 1 First US transmission (CARTOON NETWORK): 17/9/2010 First UK transmission (SKY MOVIES PREMIERE): 23/10/2010

STORY: When the Republic learns of an impending Separatist attack on Kamino, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi hurry to the planet's defense. Asajj Ventress, General Grievous and an army of droids rise out of the oceans of Kamino, determined to destroy the planet's clone production facilities. NOTE: in a cut scene, just before meeting with Grievous (and probably created as a set-up for her later line to it: "there's nothing you have that I could want."), Asajj Ventress spears a Clone trooper (bearing a skull-helmet pattern) then plants a kiss on him as he’s dying. Despite Dave Filoni’s attempts to have the quite adult in tone scene saved, CARTOON NETWORK removed it just prior to the Celebration V convention, though it looks likely to be included on the full episode for its eventual Season Three DVD and Blu-ray releases. REVIEW: Now it’s all kicking off! Another Kamino related adventurethis time a semi-sequel to ROOKIES instead (with all the toing and froing in the series, I think its time to have that revised timeline printed, Mister Filoni!) and absolutely packed with action, all of which was deftly held, looked stunning. It must be getting harder and harder for Filoni and his teams to do these planetary invasions without repeating themselves, especially as the previous years LANDING AT POINT RAIN seemed to have set the action benchmark, but the much anticipated and dreamed about invasion of Kamino (which had a great story from the DARK HORSE years between EPISODEs II and III) greatly lived up to my personal expectations. The depth and detail were incredible, not just in the aforementioned action scenes but throughout the episode in general – facially, you can see more than ever before that Anakin and Obi-Wan have more detail and character

nuance. Everything is just so much stronger, with fantastic battle vistas and tremendous use of colour and background detail adding further atmosphere. Of the battles themselves, I still need to re-watch certain scenes, but I loved that terrific swordplay between Anakin and Ventress (and I loved his Vader-ish moment when he was prepared to let the clone troopers shoot her to death). Alas the Grievous/ Kenobi fight was all too brief (though we previously had the GRIEVOUS INTRIGUE duel, set after this adventure (!) which has not yet been topped by the fighting duo). And it certainly is a welcome back for General Grievous, and especially nice to see it working with Ventress, whose absence for all of last year was much noticed! I found her playful, almost sexual undercurrent dialogue scenes with Grievous very interesting (technically the first time they work together onscreen), whilst her general nastiness and all round sadism (shame about that cut dying clone kiss!) were back in evidence. And her attempts to retrieve the Jango Fett/Clone sample were excellent. It was intriguing to see the Kamino storage chamber, holding other genetic patterns- not just Jango’s but other peoples and races, too? Perhaps a story idea to be developed another time? Trying to hold back the enemy advance, the returning clone’s Echo and Five’s would certainly earn their new stripes in combat (alongside Daniel Logan’s voices as the clone cadets, who spring a fun surprise on the Battle Droids!), though we sadly lose poor old 99 - his brave heart staying loyal and true to his fellow soldiers right to the end! Bless. The return of the previously under-used EPISODE II Aiwha’s flying in and out of the sea, linked to a fun underwater James Bond-esque moment from Obi-Wan, was a delight, and once more the Jedi General manages to make another friend out of a beast of burden! Then there were all the great new saga additions, like the enemy Aqua Troops, plus the re-use of the ship/weaponry Tridents which smash into Tipocca city (loved the classic submarine depth ping sound effects prior to their leap from the oceans!) leading to further incredible imagery-such as the clone vats being destroyed-which lived up to the epic STAR WARS quality we always love to see, and which ARC TROOPERS certainly delivered! AFICIONADO RATING: The script and its well-paced action were put together with style and lots of inventive flair, in this thrilling tale destined to be regarded as a classic of the series. 4.5 out 5

EPISODE THREE: SUPPLY LINES Writer: Steven Melching, Eoghan Mahony Director: Brian Kalin O’Connel Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode 24 First US transmission date: 24/9/2010 First UK transmission date: 30/10/2010 NOTE: This episode is set before the events of Season One’s AMBUSH and its year ending RYLOTH trilogy. STORY: Ryloth is under siege. Trapped on the surface, Jedi Master Di rallies the local forces with the help of Cham Syndulla. Desperate to save them, Senator Bail Organa and Representative Jar Jar Binks are dispatched to the planet of Toydaria, where they must convince the King Katuunko to send aid. REVIEW: Despite the humour of Jar Jar Binks (once more voiced by the excellent Ahmed Best-great to have you back!)- whether you want him in the show or not-SUPPLY LINES grim main action plot- focusing on the trapped Nikto Jedi Master Di and his men, trying to help the inhabitants of Ryloth against overwhelming Separatist attack-once again in a prequel to several Season One tales- proved far superior to the Gungan and Bail Organa’s mission to the Toydaria for supplies help, and provided a conclusion that was both a sad yet ultimately hopeful ending, with the character of Di certainly deserving a worthy place in the annals of the Jedi Order for his courage in battle (well voiced by Robin Atkin Downes (who also once more plays the returning Ryloth resistance leader, Cham Syndulla)) though he’s certainly a character with one of the most unfortunate names ever devised, deliberately so when the production team planned his final fate!). That the whole episode could have just concerned Di and his troopers was obvious, despite what was a visually interesting alternate strand linked to Organa and Jar Jar’s mission. Toydaria was finally nice to see in the improved animation, what with the return of King Katuunko (once more played by Brian George), and equally accompanied by all the nice shots of Organa’s Blockade Runner (looking great in its new, closely redesigned to EPISODE IV shape), but the diplomatic mission there ultimately slowed the plot and pace down at times and ultimately proved underwhelming, utilizing neither fine STAR WARS characters effectively enough (and by now, Bail deserves some really meaty stuff

to play with). The appearance of the sly Neimoidian Lok Durd, under the control of Dooku, however, was well handled, and his arrival in the plot thankfully helped it along with some much-needed subtle menace. AFICIONADO RATING: Not an exceptional episode, but Jedi Master Di and his clone troopers, along with the overall main Ryloth invasion action, would provide SUPPLY LINES with its best, and most memorable, moments. 3 out of 5

EPISODE FOUR: SPHERE OF INFLUENCE Writer: Katie Lucas, Steven Melching Director: Kyle Dunlevy Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode 25 First US Transmission: 1/10/2010 First UK Transmission: 6/11/2010 NOTE: The entire George Lucas family appears as Pantoran Papanoida family in this episode, which takes place before the events of Season Two’s SENATE MURDERS. STORY: Pantora in peril! The newly elected Chairman of Pantora, Baron Papanoida, is caught in a deadly political game. The Trade Federation has blockaded Pantora and suspended all commerce with the system. Isolated from the rest of the Republic, the people of Pantora are beginning to rally against the Senate, who have seemed unsympathetic to their plight. To make matters worse, Count Dooku has come forward offering aid if Pantora joins the Separatist alliance. Chairman Papanoida has dispatched Senator Chuchi to Coruscant with the hope that she can motivate the Senate to act in favor of Pantora before Lott Dod can legitimize the blockade.... REVIEW: It was an enjoyable moment at CELEBRATION V when THE MAIN EVENT conversation showed some great clips of George Lucas’s

return to the STAR WARS universe as the blue skinned Pantoran leader Baron Papanoida - we always wanted to see George kick some intergalactic butt, and he did just that- and not just with one blaster but two! And in a nice western style bar brawl to boot! From those samples, it looked like the future Season Three episode would be a fun, probably one-off tale that was just a nice excuse to celebrate STAR WARS and get to blow away baddies with the aforementioned big guns! In that sense, SPEHRE OF INFLUENCE certainly succeeded, with a light, but solid script from Katie Lucas (and Steven Melching) that was nicely directed and paced. There was nothing new about the basic kidnap plot but this scenario’s translation to the STAR WARS universe always works and everything zipped along nicely enough to its action conclusion, and making good use of many Classic and Prequel Trilogies locations/environments and characters (with nice little cameos from the Hutt family on Tatooine). One of the episodes best touches was the first animated appearance of Greedoone of Lucas’s favourite characters anyway, as one of the Pantoran kidnapers- a nice move after his previous live-action excision from EPISODE I. As the stars of the main story, all of the Lucas/Pantoran family were equally well realized in the animation format, though Corey Burton’s voice for George as the Baron took a lot of getting used to – I didn’t quite imagine him with that voice after all these years seeing him interviewed and in person. And it was great to see Senator Riyo Chuchi, once more voiced by Jennifer Hale, getting more to do and seeing her character develop nicely- a young politician with some gusto and bravery. Lets see her again at some point. Alongside Ahsoka, Chuchi’s part of the mission to find the Baron’s kidnapped family played well, though if I was a Neimoidian I wouldn’t let anybody come on to the ship wearing a hood, especially not after the events of this episode of the or the prior beginning of EPISODE I! Only one real negative in the episode: who on earth keeps bringing back Inspector Divo!? He’s hardly the cream of the Coruscant investigative police force, is he? A truly annoying character vocally and visually – he really shouldn’t be in the show at all! AFICIONADO RATING: SPHERE OF INFLUENCE- an overindulgence by the Lucas family, perhaps? No, it was just a nice bit of fun. Not a classic by any means, but it proved to be a nice celebration of the Lucas families loving and enduring commitment to the STAR WARS saga and its fans. In that function, it certainly succeeded. 3.5 out of 5

EPISODE FIVE: CORRUPTION Writer: Cameron Litvack Director: Giancarlo Volpe Made in Production Order: Season Three, Episode Four First US transmission: October 8th 2010 First UK transmission: November 13th 2010

STORY: Padmé, on a diplomatic mission to Mandalore, guarantees the pacifist planet the Republic's full protection, but she and Duchess Satine soon find something sinister lurking beneath the planet's serene facade. Moogan smugglers have been sneaking in supplies, including bottled tea destined for the Mandalorian schools. To increase their profits, they have been diluting the tea with a hazardous chemical. REVIEW: Starting off more with a plot more akin to a “we’ve got to find out where the poison’s coming from” episode of QUINCY than anything like STAR WARS, CORRUPTION starts weakly on the storyfront, but fortunately ends well with Padme practicing her impressive blaster skills to take on the baddies (amongst them an interesting looking race that presumably wandered off the set of THE MUMMY RETURNS, and wearing ancient headgear that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the heads of the Colonial Warrior pilots from 1978’s BATTLESTAR GALACTICA! Perhaps a deliberate homage to that series by the designers, as well as to the popular seventies history with UFO’s author Eric Von Daniken). Girl Power is truly the order of the day with this episode, and it’s nice to see the friendship continue to evolve between Padme and Satine, who work well together as characters and as voice actresses. The animation, as ever, was beautiful (loved the opening arrival ceremony on Mandalore), but I can’t say this was one of the shows best. The Padme episodes in general need to be stronger plotted, and more involving. The character, and actress Catherine Taber, needs more to get their teeth into.

AFICIONADO RATING: 2.5 out of 5 (primarily for the nicely handled action finale rather than the actual story).

EPISODE SIX: ACADEMY Writer: Katie Lucas, Steve Melching Director: Giancarlo Volpe Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode Twenty Six First US transmission: 15th October 2010 First UK transmission: 20th November 2010

STORY: Much to her chagrin, Ahsoka Tano is assigned to teach a class at the cadet academy on Mandalore. Soon after she arrives, however, some of her students are drawn into a treacherous plot. “The Academy” find its heroes not among the super-powered Jedi or even the ranks of the highly-trained clone everymen. Instead, the protagonists are intrepid youngsters on a principled quest – to uncover the corruption that is poisoning their homeworld.

REVIEW: Certainly the most younger audience influenced episode of the season so far, ACADEMY could be described in TV GUIDE as STAR WARS version of an Enid Blyton style FIVE GO OFF ON AN ADVENTURE-like mystery tale, but with some great finale kick-ass action from a much more independent and savvy Ahsoka Tano than ever before (and a more mature sounding Ashley Eckstein), acting on her own, and weapon-less, but soon proving a formidable foe when she takes on the Corrupt Mandalorian Prime Minister (again voiced by Brit Julian Holloway). As ever, the episode looked great, there were some nice sound design and the aforementioned action at the end was exciting and nicely staged. With a little bit of George Lucas’s personal/moralistic educational thoughts thrown into the mix - on how we should try to avoid being corrupted, think for ourselves and be better people working for our community- Ahsoka’s early teaching

scenes felt a little forced at the start script wise, but the story improved as it went along. And, thankfully, the Mandalorian pupil/detectives were okay and not as irritating as they could have been. Described by STAR WARS.COM as “delving ever deeper into the dysfunctional social mechanics of Mandalore”, I’m afraid to say that ACADEMYs story/plotline, continuing to expand and develop the prior Season Two concept of a world on the brink of revolution, didn’t really prove all that interesting to me. Like the previous Trilogy, it was okay episode, brightened by Ahsoka, but, as with my occasional critical bugbear, ACADEMY was still not STAR WARS’y enough. AFICIONADO RATING: Has academia gone too far this season? 3 out of 5

EPISODE SEVEN: ASSASSIN Writer: Katie Lucas Director: Kyle Dunlevy Made in Production Order: Season Two, Episode 21 First US Transmission: 22/10/2010 First UK Transmission: 27/11/2010

NOTES: This episode is set after the events of Season Two’s LETHAL TRACKDOWN but before the events of Season One’s HOSTAGE CRISIS. STORY: Tasked to protect Senator Padmé Amidala during a political mission to Alderaan, Padawan Ahsoka Tano is plagued by recurring visions of recently deceased bounty hunter, Aurra Sing. Unable to clear her mind, Ahsoka worries that the stress of conflict is finally getting to her until her visions indeed prove prophetic. Padmé narrowly avoids death when Aurra Sing attempts to assassinate her. Together, Padmé and Ahsoka trap the hunter, and Ahsoka discovers the true villain behind the plot to kill Padmé: the incarcerated gangster, Ziro the Hutt.

REVIEW: Getting back on the right track after two weakish episodes, ASSASIN was a very enjoyable story, nicely plotted and written by Katie Lucas, nicely developing Ahsoka’s character after the events of THE ACADEMY (despite the fact that this tale is set before it and causes some mild continuity problems- shouldn’t she still be like she was at the start of Season One?!!), where we she her growing up a bit more, with some neat character touches between her and Padme, as well as keeping those popular flourishes/nostalgic references/moments from previous STAR WARS movies alive and well in the series, like the Dark Side influenced Force predictions and nightmares that these younger Jedi seem to have a lot these days. Talking about nostalgia, it was visually great to see a little bit more of the iconic world of Alderaan (accompanied by a nice intermixing of by composer Kilner of both his own themes for the TV series and John Williams beloved ones-loved hearing Princess Leia’s beautiful score again) and I eagerly await another story set on that world in the near future.. And then, by episodes end, it was Aurra vs Ahsoka-the re-match! Not caught out by Captain Typho and the Betty droid disguised as Padme (a nice nettle nod to the Prequel films), it was cool to see Jaime King’s strongly voiced villain back in skilled action (nice make-up reference to the Replicant Pris from BLADERUNNER, too!) and it was quite a cool scene when she injured Ahsoka with a blaster shot. Now that she’s been captured, just how is Sing going to get out of prison to come back and help Cad Bane free Ziro in Season One! Confused?! Almost, but STARWARS.COM, to their credit, did at least put up a guide to the timeline in their episode guide for this adventure.

AFICIONADO RATING: You can’t go wrong story-wise when you have a great baddie to fight. 4 out of 5

EPISODE EIGHT: EVIL PLANS Writer: Steve Melching and Craig Van Sickle Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell First US transmission: 5/11/2010

First UK transmission: 4/12/2010 Made in Production Order: Season 3, Episode 3 NOTES: This story is set after the events of HOLOCRON HEIST and before the events of Season One’s HOSTAGE CRISIS and Season Two’s SENATE MURDERS. A new version of Cad Bane’s droid assistant Todo appears in this episode. According to STAR WARS.COM: “(This episode) takes place some time after HOLOCRON HEIST which saw the destruction of Todo 360. Todo was rebuilt off-screen by Anakin Skywalker after the episode CHILDREN OF THE FORCE in an attempt by the Jedi to learn more about Bane and his whereabouts. The plan goes wrong and Todo escapes. The episode immediately after this one is HOSTAGE CRISIS” STORY: In the middle of a routine shopping trip on Coruscant, C-3PO is abducted by the bounty hunter Cad Bane. Bane is looking for information about the Senate building on behalf of Jabba the Hutt. Finding C-3PO devoid of useful information, Bane and his accomplices kidnap R2-D2 and extract the vital data, before memory wiping the droids of the incident, and letting them on their way. The floor-plans and security details of the Senate building are part of a plot engineered by the Hutt families to free their imprisoned brother, Ziro the Hutt, who holds potentially damaging information about Hutt activities. REVIEW: A fun little family friendly tale nicely balanced with signs and portents of serious things to come on the action adventure front with the Hutt clans (nice to see all the different beasties and their visual homages to Coppola’s THE GOFDFATHER characters!), Jedi and that hat wearing baddie Cad Bane, whilst also acting as a neat little continuance to the events of the Season One finale HOSTAGE CRISIS. Protocol droid, poor negotiator and mindless of crucial information, See-Threepio may be a hinder to Cad Banes overall plans (though the Bounty Hunter gets what he wants in the end!), but it was nice to see STAR WARS favourite golden rod back in servant mode (with an intriguing little section linked to Padme Amidala’s life as a senator, and all the diplomatic duties and responsibilities that entail) and equally great to have Anthony Daniels back for a more substantial role, especially alongside Artoo (yayy!), for his mostly centre stage episode that successfully pulled on the nostalgia heartstrings that we have for the droids from the past, in the kind of story and style that wouldn’t have been out of place, if better animated now, in their previous

DROIDS series from the eighties. On the Dark Side of my thoughts, I still don’t like Todo, be it a new version or not, voiced by Seth Green, though on the rest of the droid front I thought the sequence set in the Droid spa was good fun-nice to see Artoo get a bit of relaxing quality time after numerous perilous adventures in Seasons One and Two. And I loved those pink Spa droids-very cute! And so, as the light hearted tale ends, the scene setting for future episodes kick in- we see Cad Bane eventually getting the information he wants (and welcome back to that excellent cool hat attired Bounty Hunter-it’s been a long time since CHILDREN OF THE FORCE!)- the plot thickens, and just what secret and damaging info does Ziro te Hutt have on his fellow creatures? AFICIONADO RATING: Probably not an episode I’ll watch again and again, but it was still a fun little tale that hit the right mark for the younger fans. 3 out of 5

EPISODE NINE: HUNT FOR ZIRO Writer: Steve Mitchell & Craig Van Sickle Director: Steward Lee Made in Production Order: Season Three, Episode Five

FIRST US TRANSMISSION: 12/10/2010 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: 11/12/2010

STORY: Cad Bane has broken Ziro the Hutt out of prison and the Hutt Council demands that Ziro tell them where he's hidden vital -- and incriminating -- information: a journal detailing the criminal activities of the five Hutt families. Ziro makes another daring escape with the help of his estranged (and strange) lover, Sy Snootles. Bane is back on the Hutt's trail -- but he's not the only one. The Jedi Obi-Wan

Kenobi and Quinlan Vos need to find him too. A chase through the swamps of Nal Hutta leads the pursuers to Ziro's enormous mother, Mama the Hutt, who points them to the direction of Teth. It is here, in the secret grave of Ziro's father, that the fugitive Hutt has hidden the diary. When he retrieves it, Snooty reveals her true spots. She's a deadly woman scorned and a bounty hunter for hire. She kills Ziro, and returns the journal to her client: Jabba the Hutt.

REVIEW: Hell hath no fury like a Snootles scorned, as Ziro the Hutt finds out with his life by the end of this episode. Snootles, in her femme fatale love affair, worked brilliantly in the animated medium (loved the TEMPLEOF DOOMinspired musical number) and was well voiced by Asajj Ventress actress Nika Futterman. Their clever machinations foiled, the Hutt clans re-appearance proved to be as disgusting as ever, which was great, but I didn’t like to see the realization of Ziro’s mother-that was just a little too gross out for me, though thumbs up the designers for the planetary vistas of Nal Hutta and its murky swamp scenes, and then a fast paced and exciting return to the hostile mountain/jungle wilderness of Teth, previously seen in the first CLONE WARS movie. In an episode chock full of great moments, Quinlan Vos first appearance in the series also got the character off to a fine start in the new medium, and his much anticipated arrival didn’t let his fans down. Right from the start he proved to be a much different, perhaps more viewer accessible, Jedi than we’re used to, with the kind of rogue elements that wouldn’t have looked out of place with Han Solo rather than a Jedi. From that aforementioned fun introduction (leaping out of a Republic craft before it touches down) to his instinct led confrontation with the Hutt’s, we see he’s not quite the patient negotiator that Obi-Wan is, and works as a fine chalk and cheese variation to “The Negotiator.” I look forward to seeing Vos again in the not too distant future. And as the story reached its totally satisfying, fast paced conclusion, how can I not mention the tremendous mountain leaping chase/fight by the Jedi duo against Bane (with his annoying droid chum Todo). It was great to see the Bounty Hunter finally in fighting mode – the kind of action scene I always wanted to see Boba Fett partake in within the Classic Trilogy. He may not have the Jedi’s superior powers, but Bane more than holds his own (fighting Kenobi with a lightsaber and then

electrifying him!), proving once again what a tricky and slippery adversary he is, full of cunning and guile and with lots of nefarious tricks located in all areas about his person.

AFICIONADO RATING: Another classic episode. 4.5 out of 5

EPISODE TEN: HEROES ON BOTH SIDES Writer: Daniel Arkin Director: Kyle Dunlevy

Made in Production Order: Season Three, Episode Six FIRST US TRANSMISSION: November 19th 2010 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: December 18th 2010

NOTE: this episode is set before the events of Season Two’s SENATE MURDERS, turning this and THE PURSUIT OF PEACE into a trilogy. This episode was originally titled “THE BANKING CONSPIRACY". In the UK, SKY takes a Christmas break with this episode and resumes the series run in January 2011. STORY: When the Senate begins debating a bill that would eliminate government oversight of the Banking Clan's activities in order to fund the war, Padmé and Ahsoka travel in secret to the capital of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Amidala attempts to forge a peace agreement with the Separatists, while Ahsoka sees, for the first time, the people of the Confederacy. Padmé's friend, Mina Bonteri, spearheads the peace initiative, and convinces the Separatist Congress to sue for peace. Meanwhile, on Coruscant, Senators Lott Dod and Gume Saam conspire with Banking Clan representative Nix Card and Count Dooku to make the banking deregulation a reality. At Dooku's command, General

Grievous engineers an attack at the central power distribution grid on Coruscant, carried out by Separatist demolition droids. The chaos and panic spreads to the Senate, which vehemently rejects the Separatist peace initiative, and votes instead to deregulate the Banking Clan. REVIEW: Darth Sidious perfect manipulation and control of the Separatists and the Republic, through the ambitious, power hungry Count Dooku for the former and the always good intentioned Padme Amidala on the latter is never more exemplary highlighted than in this intriguing and quite adult episode, with more than a passing nod to the not always in our best interests political machinations of today’s world leaders (remember how Palpatine had more than a passing nod to President Nixon (later President George Bush) when Lucas was working on the original STAR WARS way back in 1983 and 2005), where such machinations from our leaders, plus the widespread greed and corruption inherent within the entire story structure of the Prequel movie saga, are finally shown to be a strength for drama and story incident when done right rather than previously being seen as tedium, and all capped off with a great sequence showing the bombing of the once indestructible Coruscant’s key life-sustaining installations by some very cool looking stealth Transformer-like droids in an exciting doom-laden no hope finale which sends any chance of peace between the two galaxy fighting fractions coming to a shattering close. The “There are heroes on both sides. Evil is everywhere” bent of the distinctive EPISODE III opening title crawl finally gets some explanation in this episode, as the animated series starts to evolve towards that particular movie with this very intelligently written and well handled script from Daniel Arkin. Intriguingly, even with the barest minimum of violence at the stories ending, this was quite a dark and disturbing episode for what is basically a family audience series, showing how people can be manipulated for evil means, and I applaud these continuing moves, presumably by Lucas and company as an educational tool in how not to lose ones individuality and to fight against the system if it becomes corrupted, as the animated series moves ever nearer the grim hopelessness of ORDER 66 and the ultimate birth of the Galactic Empire. Embedded into the changing series, some of our main characters also got a visual tune-up: I personally liked the new visual look for Anakin and the maturing Ahsoka, and look forward to seeing the new Obi-Wan and Padme at some point, too. And let’s also not forget the cool new wardrobe for Palpatine, even wearing a deleted scene EPISODE III outfit, too!

AFICIONADO RATING: An impressive episode that hopefully looks set to see in a stark and more serious shift in the shows evolution in 2011. 4.5 out of 5

EPISODE ELEVEN: PURSUIT OF PEACE Writer: Daniel Arkin Director: Duwayne Dunham Made in Production Order: Season Three, Episode 7 FIRST US TRANSMISSION: December 3rd 2010 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: January 8th 2011

STORY: Padmé, Bail Organa and Onaconda Farr attempt to rally Senators in opposition to a bill that would appropriate funds for millions of new clone troops and have disastrous financial consequences for the Republic. Their opposition to the measure, however, soon makes them targets for intimidation and attacks by hired guns. After escaping two hired thugs -- Chata Hyoki and Robonino -- in a harrowing speeder bike chase, Padmé, is able to sway the Senate with a stirring account of how the war has affected an everyday civilian, her handmaiden Teckla Minnau. NOTE: After a three-week break, the series resumes on the UK’s SKY MOVIES PREMIERE and HD with this episode, which is the second part of a trilogy, with the earlier Season Two’s SENATE MURDERS being the wrap-up. REVIEW: A fine continuance from the previous episodes political drama, as Coruscant remains in darkness and the Senate takes its critical voting on the ordering of additional Clone soldiers even if means destabilizing the infrastructure of the Republic and totally bankrupting it. Catherine Taber has some fine dialogue and scenes to work with as Padme, with a notably impressive and impassioned speech in the episodes finale which is nicely written and realized by

writer Daniel Arkin. It’s also nice to have a handmaiden (Teckla Minnau) finally make it into in the series, and in an important sequence that generally makes up for their overall absence from EPISODE III, as her background and family life proves integral to her Mistresses final speech. And outside of the political debate, there’s still time for action, too! We already know the Naboo Senator is a woman of many fine talents, and now we can add speeder bike flying to her resume. Like Mother like Daughter, eh? Padme’s political heavyweight colleague, Ian Abercombie as Palpatine, also builds on his work on the earlier episode and provides the final delicious, and duplicitous, icing on the gloomy dramatic cake in this very rewarding tale that once more touches on today’s current events: the dangers of the banks and their un-regulated, un-checked ways over the last two years, and the toll that war brings to our real life world’s countries whom send out their brave men and women to fight for peace. These two strands prove their worth as allegorical focus points in the animated series on which to build strong stories. It’s also backed up with some very nice direction and angles, too, from exeditor, TWIN PEAKS director and friend to Lucas, Duwayne Dunham. Let’s hope he gets to do more episodes. And, continuing the more adult take the series is heading down - and notice how 2011 has the show return in a new later time-slot (which possibly reflect this)- its not often you see knife (albeit thickened to make it less threatening) wielding aliens in STAR WARS, a stand out in the more fantastical world of lightsabers and blasters. Perhaps a one off visual decision, such modern life weapons prove very noticeable in a family animated series. So, as an effective bridge leading into SENATE MURDERS, and an excellent conclusion to HEROES ON BOTH SIDES, too, PURSUIT OF PEACE ends the seasons first half on a very high quality note. AFICIONADO RATING: 3.5 out 5

EPISODE TWELVE: NIGHTSISTERS Writer: Katie Lucas Director: Giancarlo Volpe

Made in Production Order: Season 3, Episode 8 FIRST US TRANSMISSION: January 7th 2011 FIRST UK TRANSMISSION: January 15th 2011

STORY: Troubled by Asajj Ventress' growing prowess with the dark side of the Force, Darth Sidious commands Count Dooku to eliminate her. But Ventress survives Dooku's assassination attempt, and the jilted former apprentice vows to take revenge, enlisting the aid of her kinswomen -- the mystical Nightsisters -- in her sinister scheme. Mother Talzin, leader of the Nightsisters, veils Asajj and her fellow assassins in a cloak of invisibility, and they infiltrate Dooku's palace on Serenno. Though they fail to kill the Count, their use of captured Jedi lightsabers leads Dooku to mistakenly believe that the Jedi have tried to kill him. Interested in protection, he requests a new apprentice from Mother Talzin. REVIEW: Matters of Life and Death. Starting at a breakneck speed and never stopping until its closing moments, NIGHTSISTERS sees this third season of the CLONE WARS finally hitting its stride. Confident, bold and exciting in all areas of its storytelling, the action and excitement never flag, virtually exposition free, and leading into the start of a new cycle of dark intrigue for the show as it continues to surge at a good pace into the events of EPISODE III. There’s some incredible cinematography in this episode, which the improved animation shows off brilliantly. The opening space battle (great to see Ventress’s CLONE WARS micro series ship back in the series) and the lightsaber duel between her, Anakin, and Obi were quite simply awesome and the growing powers of the Sith apprentice, despite her crashland injuries, certainly do show: how about that amazing moment where she Force strangles both her Jedi attackers and the incredibly dexterous moves she shows against them in the destructing vessels landing bay. Once again, I’m sure there were moves in that fight that Prequel Stunt co-ordinator Nick Gillard would have been very impressed with. Following on from that, and Dooku’s wish, under orders from a very angry Darth Sidious, to have he dead, the plotline linked to the Nightsisters of Dathomir worked very well-first introduced way back in the COURTSHIP OF PRONCESS LEIA novel a long time ago, though their appearance may once more have the EU purists

worked up a bit, especially in the intriguing dreamscape origin story of their daughter Ventress as she’s being healed from her injuries. After the mysticism we return to the action, and the episodes great finale rounding it out, partially shown in prior clips at CELEBRATION V, with an equally strong as the opener lightsaber duel, where Ventress and the cream of her assassin sisters travel to Dooku’s estate/lair on Serenno (again, nice to finally to see this much mentioned world of the books) to take him out. Again, brilliantly handled-and great to see the Count finally in some more blade action- and fighting in his pyjamas, too! – we hadn’t really seen much of his flashy but vicious technique since the pilot movie. Despite the action, though, the basic story seems slightly flawed to me: surely Dooku must suspect that the Assassins were not Jedi-as an ex member of that noble order himself, he would know that the Jedi, no matter how desperate, would not resort to assassination techniques. That would make them no better than the Sith. Looking at it in that respect, this part of the plot, initiated so as to get Dooku to secure his new apprentice, slightly rankles, but I’m more than willing to let it go for the sake of a strong overall tale, which NIGHTSISTERS clearly showed. AFICIONADO RATING: The best standout episode since THE HUNT FOR ZIRO, and before that ARC TROOPERS. The shows production team are clearly having a creative ball here bringing episodes of this caliber to life (they even chucked in a fun little reference to their once enemy TV series, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, with the Tactical Droids “By your command!” line! Does this mean that, with time, George Lucas has softened in his attitudes towards his 1978 competitor?), alongside a fine script (the first of a trilogy) from Katie Lucas. And, with all this excitement, we haven’t even seen Savage Opress yet… 5 out of 5

EPISODE THIRTEEN: MONSTER Writer: Katie Lucas Director: Kyle Dunlevy

First US transmission: January 14th 2011

First UK transmission: January 22nd 2011 Made in Production Order: Season Three, Episode 10 STORY: When Count Dooku calls upon the Nightsisters seeking a replacement for Ventress, she and her kin seize the opportunity to exact revenge. Ventress visits the far side of Dathomir and the males of the planet seeking the most brutal and powerful warrior among them. Talzin has Asajj secretly select a warrior from the distant Nightbrother village: Savage Opress. With the power of dark magic, Talzin transforms Savage into a hulking warrior ultimately loyal to Asajj. She then delivers Opress to Dooku, where he will serve as his secret Sith apprentice in a plot to overthrow Darth Sidious. REVIEW: And so, the series most eagerly awaited episode run continues with the introduction of the new Sith Apprentice, the fierce horned headed, body tattooed assassin Savage Opress. With a long career in animated series voice over work, especially memorable in the WARNER BROTHERS BATMAN series of the mid to late nineties, Clancy Brown proves a fine choice to play the intelligent alien selectee turned brutish monster, and its interesting how the character starts off as a strong, intelligent and protective type to his weaker, more demanding, egotistical brother Feral-who should have been the ideal choice if he hadn’t proved so weak-then ultimately killing him when Savage soon proves the more adept choice, transformed into a servile and powerful new force for evil via witchcraft and mental manipulation, and quickly cementing his reputation as a dedicated servant of death and destruction, the plaything of the Nightsisters and Ventress’s assassination plot, and launching him as a firm new favourite character in THE CLONE WARS series universe. Interestingly, with the Force explained as an energy field created by all livjng things through the focusing point of the symbiotic Midi-chlorians (as established in the Prequels), where do the intriguing powers of the Nightsisters factor into all this? They are clearly able to create matter from energy, but how is their power defined, and is it from a source other than the Force? This new aspect of the STAR WARS sagautilizing the kind of magic that would make Merlin proud- makes Lucas’s universe perhaps even more fairy tale like and fascinating. Which is a good thing in my book. And then there’s Ventress. Her hatred of all men, even in alien form, knows no bounds, and she’s more malicious and blood-thirsty than ever as her revenge plot against the nefarious Count enters its first calculating phase. Building nicely on the events of her prior episode,

there’s a great opportunity for Katie Lucas to have fun writing dangerous scenes and dialogue with the character and really unleash her as the ultimate bitch of the STAR WARS saga (at least so far!). The cinematography, direction and pace accompanying her story and her chosen one, as usual in this season second half, were excellent. And Savage’s introduction proper with the killing of the two Jedi (backed up with its great doom-laden choir music from Kevin Kiner) delivers an effective closure to the episode and promises both complex machinations and further brutal action to come… AFICIONADO RATING: A slice and dicing 4.5 out of 5.

EPISODE FOURTEEN: WITCHES OF THE MIST Writer: Katie Lucas Director: Giancarlo Volpe

Made in Production Order: Season Three, Episode Twelve

First US transmission: January 21st 2011 First UK transmission: January 29th 2011

STORY: Anakin and Obi-Wan, sent to track down the mysterious figure behind the deaths of several Jedi, soon find themselves on the trail of the monstrous apprentice that Ventress has created: Savage Opress, who has been trained in the ways of the Sith by Dooku. Dooku sends Opress to Toydaria to capture King Katuunko. The monstrous apprentice clashes with the Jedi, and in the course of the battle he kills the king. Opress returns to Dooku's flagship having failed his Master. It is then that Ventress strikes, with Opress at her side, against Dooku. A three-way battle for dark side supremacy ends with Dooku triumphant, Ventress fleeing, and a disillusioned Savage

abandoning his loyalties to the Sith. He returns to Mother Talzin, who gives him a new task. To seek the Outer Rim for his long-lost brother.... REVIEW: The tone of the episode gets off to a great start with Coruscant’s grey and rainy skies (and featuring a cool little cameo of the Delta Squad Clone Commandos from the popular video game-a great influence on Dave Flioni’s vision for the animated series) indicating a bad time all round coming up for the Jedi (though its great to see Anakin and Obi-Wan back in action as a duo- with some good moments when they’re on Dathomir. They’ve been away or apart from us for too long in the series), whilst Savage Opress, beaten severely by Count Dooku into his training to become a Sith Lord (a similar, but far more excruciating ordeal to the one undergone by Luke with Yoda in EMPIRE), sets off and ultimately fails on his first real mission (which showed an intriguing symmetry in that the series returns to Toydaria and its writers then bravely kill off King Katuunko. Putting up a good fight, I found the noble King’s death a shock, and also a bit of a shame, though I think we’ll have to expect and get used to more supporting character demises in the seasons to come as we reach the critical EPISODE III). A pawn of Ventress and the Nightsisters, and happily used by Dooku prior to Toydaria as a Jedi killing machine, I actually did feel a little sad for the used and abused figure of Opress but certainly not when he rebelled against his masters and went into full fighting mode, a tremendous adversary for the Jedi and Sith to face (loved that scene when he Force-choked both Dooku and Ventress!). The differing duels alternating the second half were superbly done. And Savage’s powers continued to prove awesome, especially the way he managed to repel and hold off Anakin and Obi-Wan several times. The Ventress versus Dooku ending re-match duel was also super, full of relentless fast paced action, great camerawork and constant movement, making it quite exhilarating in places. One fact remains consistent in the series, though: whoever wins, Battle Droids suffer! I’m glad that Opress wasn’t killed off in this story as there is lots of potential for the future before they ultimately have to do away with him before the events of EPISODE III. And now he’s on a quest given to him by Mother Talzin. A quest for a certain member of his race who was once a Sith Lord. So, to Darth Maul. Is he really alive? Did the Nightsisters somehow retrieve his body and put it back together? The idea of him in animated form fighting alongside his brother Savage sounds intriguing,

but is it really a good idea? His not being dead robs Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan and THE PHANTOM MENACE of its triumphant and exciting impact when Obi finally takes out and kills the Sith apprentice. Does this now mean any STAR WARS character previously dead and not a Jedi can come back and be resurrected? Was Darth Maul a clone of the real Maul, part of a Sith plan before the initiation of the creation of the Clone army? If TPM’s Maul does indeed turn out to be a clone, doesn’t this rob the character of his uniqueness? And doesn’t this also affect continuity for EPISODE III? I don’t mind the Expanded Universe being changed (as seen in this episode’s beginning with the exposition from the Jedi about Maul’s race being on Dathomir), but when the rules may contradict the already established and official movie universe, well, then I worry! Why doesn’t Anakin, who is aware of the Nightsisters and their strange powers, just go to them and force their help in finding a way to stop Padme from dying. I’m intrigued to see how this all develops (it may be a ruse for the Nightsisters just to get Savage away from them) but I hope that such a move by the shows creative team doesn’t backfire and shatter the live action STAR WARS universe too much… AFICIONADO RATING: A stunning episode and a stunning finale by Katie Lucas to this excellent trilogy, which I’m sure satisfied all its viewers. Kudos to the cast and crew of THE CLONE WARS on this one. Successfully making the most of triple baddies, the STAR WARS universe is getting even more choc a block full of villains, which is exactly what the production team wanted so as to avoid repetition. Now, how about one big almighty three-parter in which every baddie (Dooku, Bane, Ventress, Opress, Grievous, etc) joins forces to take on the Jedi! The series subtitle of SECRETS REVEALED is now starting to become worthwhile and the stories will no doubt continue their high quality consistency with the next three parter involving the Chosen One prophecy, plus future plots for Ahsoka and Captain Rex rounding out the season. No question about it, this episode deserves its Force lightning packed 5 out of 5 (and then some).

EPISODE FIFTEEN: OVERLORDS Writer: Christian Taylor

Director: Steward Lee

Made in Production Order: Season Three, Episode Nine. First US transmission: 28th January 2011 First UK transmission: 5th February 2011 STORY: A mysterious force draws Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka to a distant planet, and its inhabitants -- a family of exceptionally powerful Force-wielders -- in an attempt to determine whether Anakin is truly the Chosen One. The patriarch of this family, known only as the Father, has spent ages maintaining the balance between his Daughter, who is strong with the light side of the Force, and his Son, who aligns with the dark. The Father reveals his days are numbered, and he seeks Anakin to take his place as the fulcrum of this balance. A series of tests proves that Anakin is capable of controlling both offspring, as the Father does, but Skywalker refuses to take the Father's place. REVIEW: Mysteries and prophecies and signs and portents abound in this intriguing story uniquely blending STAR WARS Classic and Prequel elements linked to the path and passage of the prophecy of the Chosen One: Anakin Skywalker. Respected TV writer Christian Taylor, well known for his work on the HBO series SIX FEET UNDER, brings some interesting new perspectives and intriguing story possibilities (the idea of a planetoid that’s a Force conduit was especially noteworthy) to the STAR WARS universe, and weaves a memorable tale that’s absolutely perfect for the animated rather than live action medium. Amongst all the talk of the Force, prophecies and unusual powers, it was great to have some of the STAR WARS Prequel actors returning to voice their popular roles, adding further respectability and official-ness to the animated series. Pernilla August as Shmi Skywalker was a much welcome treat in a very nice scene with Anakin, as was the brief appearance of Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn. Our main cast Jedi trio gets some fine moments as they encounter their Force spirits, from the past or the future. It was intriguing to see the future Ahsoka, whatever her ultimate fate may be, whilst James Arnold Taylor is now making Obi’s voice a little older sounding to match Sir Alec Guinness as well as Ewan McGregor, and the results are commendable. THE FORCE UNLEASHED guest voice cast of Sam Witwer and Adrienne

Wilkinson, respectively as the Dark and Light sides of the Force, alongside their balancing ruler, Father, played by Lloyd Sher, proved interesting new characters, too, whilst their alien homeworld Mortis, with its shades of AVATAR environments in the sky proved another fine addition to the ranks of intriguing STAR WARS planets and locations. And so, as Anakin turns his back on the balance of the Force in this intriguing new twist on the prophecy, what further important and cataclysmic events leading up to the revenge of the Sith can we expect next? AFICIONADO RATING: Contrasting nicely with the prior action-packed Opress Trilogy, this looks like the start of a more mature, truly unique animation experience for the STAR WARS universe, with the caliber of the concept providing STAR WARS with a different kind of fantasy-like environment, showing the Jedi against clashing God-like users of the Force, giving Lucas’s saga and characters an intriguing new spin, and making it a sure stand out for fans young and old. 4.5 out of 5.

EPISODE SIXTEEN: ALTAR OF MORTIS Writer: Christian Taylor Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell

MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: Season Three, Episode Eleven First US transmission: 4th February 2011 First UK transmission: 12th February 2011 STORY: Before the Jedi can leave Mortis, the Son takes Ahsoka captive in an attempt to entice Anakin into joining him to use their combined strength to overpower his Father and Sister. To this end, the Son casts Ahsoka under the spell of the dark side. Meanwhile, the Father attempts to stave off a disastrous showdown between his children and maintain the Force's increasingly precarious balance on the planet. Fearing that the Son may be unstoppable, the Daughter does the forbidden by taking Obi-Wan Kenobi to the Altar of

Mortis, wherein is kept the Dagger of Mortis, a weapon capable of killing a Force-wielder. The Son steals the weapon, and attempts to use it against his Father to steal his power and end his rule, but the Daughter sacrifices herself, placing herself in front of the blade. REVIEW: THE CLONE WARS delving into the side of fantasy continues. It’s very much a case of (Force) Gods and Monsters, Angels and Demons, or a clash of the titans, with a little bit of King Arthur and the Excalibur legend thrown in, as the balance of the Force on Mortis is decided, and where destiny will ultimately influence the state of the universe outside of it, in this intriguing, continued foray into the purest form of the battle between good and evil yet, in a way that I think Joseph Campbell would have approved. There’s not a lot of originality on display in this episode, and some locations looked a little too like the universe conceived by Peter Jackson’s movie versions of Tolkien’s LORD OF THE RINGS, but it plays effectively nonetheless and Christian Taylor’s script makes fine use of its key players, as well as showing his obvious love of fantasy in general and understanding how to write for both it and STAR WARS as a whole. As darkness takes over Mortis, The Son proves itself a stand out enemy for the animated series, well voiced by Sam Witwer as the characters continued unique skills within the Dark Side grow stronger. I liked the actors incorporation/ impression of IanMcDiarmid as Palpatine, his dialogue laced with the sardonic and poisonous evil that could only belong to the Sith. And where would evil be without its disciples, as Ahsoka Tano soon proves when she’s possessed into fighting her Master. From the way her transformation was shown in trailers and publicity, what we ultimately got was less than anticipated but who didn’t, deep down, think it wouldn’t all just be a big tease for something hopefully more dramatic and powerful story-wise further down the line. Her two lightsabers duel against Anakin, and later Anakin and Obi-Wan, was good if a little brief, and I bet Ashley Eckstein enjoyed the challenge of going bad, even making Ahsoka’s voice sound at times satisfying like the kind you’d associate with an elderly and embittered witch from SNOW WHITE or a Hans Christian Anderson tale! AFICIONADO RATING: ALTAR OF MORTIS wasn’t quite as mysterious and intriguing as the previous episode, ultimately a more straightforward fantasy foray in which the popular STAR WARS elements, outside of their normal established universe, just about worked within it. I get the feeling that OVERLORDS may have been a singular tale but was expanded into three parts. As a second part, ALTAR did its job well enough, though, and ultimately deserves its 4 out of 5

EPISODE EIGHTEEN: THE CITADEL Writer: Matt Michnovetz Director: Kyle Dunlevy

MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: Season Three, Episode Fourteen First US transmission: 18/2/2011 First UK transmission: 26/2/2011 STORY: With help from R2-D2 and a squad of captured battle droids, an elite team of Jedi and clone troopers led by Obi-Wan and Anakin attempt to free a captive Jedi general, Even Piell, from an impenetrable prison. Despite orders to the contrary, Ahsoka Tano tags along, though she proves indispensable when the infiltration mission begins to evolve. Piell and his fleet officer, Captain Tarkin, as liberated from their cells, but now the fugitives must escape the Citadel itself.

EPISODE NINETEEN: COUNTERATTACK Writer: Matt Michnovetz Director: Kyle Dunlevy MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: Season Three, Episode Fifteen First US Transmission: 4th March 2010 First UK Transmission: 5th March 2010

STORY: With freed prisoners in their possession and the brutal warden attempting desperately to thwart them, Obi-Wan and Anakin search for a way out of the Citadel and back to Coruscant. The prison, however, has more traps, perils and pitfalls in store for them than they

had imagined and they must work past their differences if they are to escape. Their bid to board their shuttle fails when heavy weapons fire destroys the escape craft. Trooper Echo dies in the blast. The escapees then flee to the caves and call for rescue from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

EPISODE TWENTY: CITADEL RESCUE Writer: Matt Michnovetz Director: Steward Lee MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: Season Three, Episode Seventeen First US transmission: March 11th 2011 First UK transmission: March 12th 2011 STORY: After their ship and only way off the planet is destroyed, Anakin and Obi-Wan must lead the escaped prisoners across Lola Sayu's perilous landscape as Plo Koon commands a task force of four cruisers and their fighters through the Separatist defences in a daring rescue. Even Piell is ravaged by anooba tracking beasts, but before he dies, he passes on his Nexus Routes coordinates to Ahsoka. When the survivors return to Coruscant, Ahsoka knows half the intel, and refuses to disclose it to anyone but the Jedi Council, while Tarkin refuses to hand over his half to anyone other than the Chancellor. OVERALL TRILOGY REVIEW: With a story that’s obviously an in places homage to great sixties adventure films like WHERE EAGLES DARE and THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, and with a cunning Christopher Walken sounding quirky alien, Osi Sobek, nicely voiced by James Arnold Taylor, thrown in for good measure, who couldn’t resist the pure pleasure of watching THE CITADEL Trilogy? It was back to the familiar, and much loved STAR WARS heroics we know and love, and then some!, in this fast paced tale that gave us the kind of pure and unadulterated action and adventure we want and thrill to from our favourite Jedi heroes, mixed with a hint of Classic Trilogy swashbuckling elements guaranteed to make us want to shake the air with pride. The secret rescue attempt/storming of an impregnable Citadel, specifically designed in the old times to house Jedi that had gone bad, was a wonderful celebration of the Classic

Trilogy’s daring plans initiated by the Rebels, and most notable with the opening parts lovely nod to EMPIRE detailing just how Anakin/later Vader became familiar with the idea of carbon freezing - a concept in this episode that proved to not just be a successful get-the-fansenthused gimmick but proved to be an important part of the story as well (it was so good they’d also used the concept in an earlier tale by Henry Gilroy for one of his CLONE WARS comics). Adding to the classic celebrations was the inclusion of the ambitious and very creepy Captain Tarkin, and what will be his unique relationship to Anakin Skywalker, later Darth Vader. The Grand Moffto-be was certainly well written and catered for in the story, quickly cementing a strong relationship with Anakin and an antagonistic one with the determined Ahsoka by the story’s conclusion, whilst his animated visage was equally spot on with Peter Cushing, but Steven Stanton’s voice didn’t quite capture the actors previous steely underlying menace as I’d hoped he would (and the producers also disappointingly cut Tarkin’s killing of Sobek, ultimately giving that responsibility to Ahsoka (who’s also starting to pick up some bad habits from her Master in this adventure), which I think would have been very interesting to have seen in the characters evolutionary build up prior to his eventual rise within the First Galactic Empire), though I’m sure I’ll get used to him eventually, and Tarkin’s bound to be back in the series at a later point (perhaps taking over from Yularen as Anakin's right hand man Republic commander-now that would be an intriguing move!). Then, in counter-balance to the Classic Trilogy, Prequel fans would also get a nice surprise with another old favourite finally becoming an animated reality: the diminutive, and Italian sounding, Even Piell (voiced by Blair Bess), quick to action and a Force to be reckoned with in combat. Just having these two memorable characters (and a brief appearance from the Ugnaughts) would be enough for a normal episode or two, but THE CITADEL TRILOGY upped the ante with the sheer amount of heroes and villains making their mark in the action, especially with the sheer amount of droids working on both sides, what with a little opening cameo from Threepio, Artoo and his little trio of Battle Droids (brave and loyal to the end), plus lots of ever deadly Droidekas and Crab Droids, and a welcome return for those more virile and dexterous combat/commando droids. Plus there were several superb STAP battles involving Anakin, Obi-Wan and Even Piell that were even more ambitious and exciting than anything seen in the first CLONE WARS animated movie from 2008.On the more animalistic side of the conflict, there were other lethal creature challenges for our heroes to

subdue, too, including the savage, well realized Anooba tracking beasts dispatched by Sobek which unceasingly chased our band of hunted heroes through the volcanic landscapes-yep, more volcanoes for Anakin!- in the final episode. With so much going on within the adventure, it must have been an immense job for the behind the scenes production team to work on but they did a great job. The first part, in particular, proved so fast paced that the 22 minutes flew by, and I couldn’t believe it was over so quickly. Part two slightly suffered from some padding, but the finale ramped the action and excitement back up a further notch, proved to be stirring stuff, and easily became one of the most memorable installments created and achieved for the series so far (but there wasn’t enough of that finale space battle-I wanted more of Saesee Tiin and his Jedi Starfighter squad!). Overall the entire three parter was very well plotted and thought through by writer Matt Michnovetz (more stories from him, please!), packed with heroic heroes, a memorable new baddie who made a mark, and, after what seemed like a very long time away from our screens, some terrific involvement for Captain Rex and the Clone Troopers, once again doing what they do best –kick Separatist heads! Also, in a mission this big, and adding depth to the story, it would have been a disappointment if there hadn’t been casualties on such a risky assignment, and this three parter more than showed and explored the consequences of the conflict/escape, with the sad deaths of trooper Echo in part two and Jedi Master Piell (whose demise clashes with Expanded Universe lore) in the final episode, bravely fighting one of those nasty Anooba beasts. As well as the overall sadness at these characters loss, it was also brave to see Dave Filoni and the gang continuing to keep the darker, more adult tone of previous Year Three second half episodes here, an example being the part one moment where the Torture Droid, before being taken out by our rescuers, was going to pierce the captured Piell’s one remaining eye! Ouch. Now that’s evil! AFICIONADO OVERALL RATING: It may have maintained its overall story quality better had it been a two rather than three parter, but that didn’t stop THE CITADEL saga from pretty much delivering the goods the majority of the time with regards to action and fast paced excitement. One of the series absolute best, and a fine homage/acknowledgement to the Classic Trilogy. 4.5 out of 5

EPISODE TWENTY-ONE: PADAWAN LOST

Writer: Bonnie Mark Director: Dave Filoni MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: Season Three, Episode Sixteen First UK transmission: March 19th 2011 First US transmission: April 1st 2011 STORY: Ahsoka and a group of abducted younglings find themselves trapped on a Trandoshan moon, prey in an elaborate and cruel hunt. The forlorn younglings have lost all hope, despite the best efforts of their spirited leader, Kalifa. Ahsoka rallies them to defend themselves and strike back against the Trandoshan, an effort with deadly consequences.

EPISODE TWENTY-TWO: WOOKIEE HUNT Writer: Bonnie Mark Director: Dave Filoni MADE IN PRODUCTION ORDER: Season Three, Episode Eighteen First UK Transmission: March 26th 2011 First US Transmission: April 1st 2011 STORY: As Ahsoka and her youngling allies struggle to evade the Trandoshan hunters, their efforts receive an unexpected boost when a new captive -- Chewbacca the Wookiee -- arrives. Chewie scrounges parts from a wrecked Trandoshan slave ship, assembling a communicator to send out a distress signal. Help arrives in the towering, shaggy form of Wookiee warriors led by General Tarfful. Freed from captivity, Ahsoka returns to the Jedi Temple and is reunited with Anakin Skywalker. OVERALL DUOLOGY REVIEW: The hunt is on! If you’re a loyal fan of Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano you’ll no doubt have been very pleased with the way her involvement in the saga has progressed this season, and she’s certainly had a good innings this year with regards to stories

and characterization, in some ways better than some of our main heroes like Obi-Wan Kenobi. With further fine voice work by Ashley Eckstein, Ahsoka has matured greatly and she will no doubt, even with a few of Anakin’s failings and shady interpretations of the Jedi code now built in to her character, become a great Jedi Knight (perhaps she’ll be receiving that honour in a ceremony next year?). PADAWAN LOST adds even more dimension to the occasionally feisty but pure hearted Togrutan, as, separated from her Master and captured by the reptilian Trandoshans in a sneak attack on Felucia (quickly becoming the most seen planet of the animated series), she is forcibly placed on a hostile jungle wilderness planet, Wasskah, and quickly has to take the initiative and become a pro-active and fearless leader to inspire the other captured and pursued Jedi younglings, prior led by the ultimately doomed Kalifa (a very nice vocal performance from Gwendoline Yeo), killed in another rather shocking but memorable moment for a family series, who had almost given up hope of survival before Ahsoka’s arrival. The idea of seeing the Jedi younglings in a dangerous new situation outside the comfort zone of the Jedi Temple was an inspired move by writer Bonnie Mark, accompanied by lightning fast, supremely executed direction from Series Supervisor Dave Filoni, in a story that also made the most of its evocative overall theme of the classic sci-fi hunter/prey scenario, full of great sci-fi references to other classic films and TV series, covering everything from PLANET OF THE APES to JURASSIC PARK, with lots of great, and very noticeable nods to the PREDATOR series. The use of the Trandoshans in the series, with all their different looks and skills (acting like giant talking Veloceraptors) was another inspired move and one sure to get the adrenaline pounding in all of the die-hard STAR WARS fans aware of their Expanded Universe histories as big game hunters and cruel enslaver/captors. It was also fun to get a look at their used and grungy technology, slaver ships and giant air base (which I felt had similarities to the superb Cloud Base from the classic Gerry Anderson 1960’s puppet series CAPTAIN SCARLET AND THE MYSTERONS), whose interior is filled with intriguing character design that added much to our unique interpretations and awareness of the species, right down to the Wampa head throne of its leader and trophies including Gungan heads, Wookiees and even a Crystal Skull from INDIANA JONES IV! The Jedi may have been trapped and facing overwhelming instinct led, highly aggressive enemy combatants by the end of PADAWAN LOST, but the odds on the killing playground will soon be evened up nicely by

the opening minutes of WOOKIEE HUNT, as, emerging from the remains of the crashed slave drop ship, that lovable and iconic 200 year old Millennium Falcon co-pilot-to-be, the mighty Chewbacca, steps out from the night time shadows and debris, and gives us that unique and iconic magical howl/grunting sound that confidently tells us that viewers, and especially fans of the Classic Trilogy, will be in for a magical treat for the rest of the episode! With such high expectations with the announcement of his return to the series, and after only a small appearance in EPISODE III in 2005, Chewie’s introduction into the tale is cleverly handled and he’s soon thoroughly immersed and reminding audiences just why we loved him as a STAR WARS character and hero in the first place, as his best characteristics come to the fore: technician, fighter (its great to truly see him in prime physical action here: there’s no arms pulled out of their sockets, sadly, but he’s certainly good at clobbering Trandoshans!) and loyal friend to have with you in a crisis, working well with his new colleagues-in-arms. As shown in the online documentary, the animators, alongside Chewie inhabitant Peter Mayhew, have really done an exhaustively fine, and very lovingly recreated research job in bringing back the character (and kudos to the sound design team for resurrecting all the Wookiee’s barks and subtle language noises, too), as well as cleverly overcoming the animation difficulties of fur design. Chewie looks like Chewie, and that’s one of the best compliments you can give Filoni and his team. And then, beyond Chewbacca, in the episodes closing minutes, our Wookiee treat only gets better what with a super finale battle on the Trandoshan Cloud Base that sees the surprise return of Tarfful and his warrior compatriots in an audience cheering moment to rescue their friends and sort out the slavers, whilst Ahsoka has an equally thrilling and well choreographed final battle with the reptile leader in his throne room. Already a tightly paced and structured, incident packed episode, my only complaint about the finale was that it was still too short. Another two or three minutes would have been even better-not just for the action, but with the final scene involving Anakin and Ahsoka reunited on Coruscant amongst the Wookiees (a sequence which also gives us a short but sweet moment where Yoda shows his pleasure at the developing relationship between Master and Padawan). I hope the eventual Blu-ray and DVD season release of this episode has extra material, and, hint to Filoni and co., wouldn’t it be great at a later date if we could get at least one more Wookiee story fully set on Kashyyyk. How about with Yoda alongside them, too?

AFICIONADO OVERALL RATING: With a very strong set-up, great action and stirring animation cinematography, the later arrival of Chewbacca and the Wookiees to the Trandoshan plot proved to be the much deserved icing on the cake to a fine two-parter, and providing Season Three with an excellent, nostalgic, and very satisfying season ending. 4.5 out of 5

AFICIONADO SEASON REVIEW: At times conflicting in tone and story quality, Season Three of THE CLONE WARS was a true game of two halves: the first enjoyable but not classic, with some weak episodes particularly set on Mandalore, with the series gradually improving by the mid-point for the time of the Cad Bane/Hutts saga, then the show soaring into a smashing, equally diverse mix of episode styles in its second half, which worked far better and kicked into full throttle with increased sophistication and consistency, showcasing some classic adventures, especially with the introduction of Savage Opress, the intriguing opening part of the Mortis Saga, the action packed adventure within THE CITADEL, and a rousing, highly satisfying, full of action and nostalgia, two part conclusion with Chewbacca and Ahsoka. It may not have totally lived up to its season moniker of SECRETS REVEALED (only the possible return of Darth Maul stood out on that front), but, with lots more referencing to the Original Trilogy and the darker storytelling shift in its final half, Series Three of THE CLONE WARS thankfully overcame its shaky start to become even more ambitious and game-changing than ever. Far better to have a season begin weak and end strongly, as it did here, than suffer the reverse.

There’s still plenty of life and stories to tell in this beautifully realized universe of STAR WARS fantasy and action. OVERALL SEASON RATING: 3.5 OUT OF 5

SEASON FOUR: BATTLE LINES MAIN PRODUCTION CREDITS Created by and Executive Producer: George Lucas Produced by Cary Silver Supervising Director (including additional dialogue and story material): Dave Filoni Story Editor/ Series Writer: Christian Taylor Staff Writers: Scott Murphy, Katie Lucas, Brian Larsen Supervising writer: Drew Z Greenberg STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS made by LUCASFILM ANIMATION Distributed worldwide by WARNER BROTHERS

VOICE CAST Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano Catherine Taber as Padme Amidala Anthony Daniels as See-Threepio James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi / Plo Koon Dee Bradley Baker as the Clone Troopers Tom Kane as Yoda / Admiral Yularen / Tactical Droid / Narrator Nika Futterman as Asajj Ventress Corey Burton as Count Dooku/ Cad Bane Terrence "TC" Carson as Mace Windu Ian Abercrombie as Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious Matthew Wood as General Grievous/Battle Droids/

Brian George as Ki-Adi-Mundi Phil Lamarr as Kit Fisto/Bail Organa Jennifer Hale as Aayla Secura James Mathis III as Captain Typho Artoo Detoo as himself

NOTABLE GUEST VOICE ARTISTS Sam Witwer as Darth Maul (Episodes 21 and 22) Dave Fennoy as Pong Krell (Episodes 7-10) Fred Tatasciore as Captain Tarpals (Episode 4) Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks (Episode 2-4) Dave Filoni as Embo (Episode 17-18 and 20) Daniel Logan as Boba Fett (Episodes 15 and 20), Dee Bradley Baker as the various Clone Troopers Jon Favreau as Pre Vizsla (Episode 14) Katee Sackhoff as Bo Katan (Episode 14) Barbara Goodson as Mother Talzin (Episode 19) Clancy Brown as Savage Opress (Episodes 21 and 22) Angelique Perrin as Adi Gallia (Episode 6) Tom Kane as the narrator Gwendoline Yeo as various voices Note: episode synopsis come from STARWARS.COM

EPISODE ONE: WATER WAR Writer: Jose Molina Director: Duwayne Dunham Made in Production Order: Season 3 Episode 22 First US transmission date (CARTOON NETWORK): September 16th 2011 First UK transmission date (CARTOON NETWORK): April 2nd 2012 Story: Anakin and Padme travel to Mon Calamari to prevent civil war breaking out between the co-existing Mon Cala and the Quarren

following the murder of the planet’s leader king and the recent inauguration of his young heir, Lee-Char.

EPISODE TWO: GUNGAN ATTACK Writer: Jose Malina Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell Made in Production Order: Season 3 Episode 23 First US transmission: September 16th 2011 First UK transmission: April 3rd 2012 Story: Calling on the help of the Separatists, and their vicious Karkardon leader, Tamson, the Quarren launch a full scale surprise attack on Lee-Char and his people, with the Jedi assisting their overwhelmed friends with the additional help of Jar Jar Binks and the nearby Gungan army from Naboo.

EPISODE THREE: PRISONERS Writer: Jose Molina Director: Danny Keller Made in Production Order: Season 3 Episode 24 First US transmission date: September 23rd 2011 First UK transmission date: April 4th 2012 Story: Prince Lee-Char, with the help and courage of Ahsoka, attempts to unite the people of Mon Cala in helping the captured Jedi and clone troopers rid the ocean world of Separatist invaders. Overall three part story review: A bold and atmospheric start to the season with stunning underwater action and cinematography, with the artists and Dave Filoni’s directing threesome directors (one of whom would be Lucas’s old buddy from the JEDI days, Duwayne Dunham (who previously worked on Season Two) taking great pains to make

sure the underwater world of Mon Calamari-never really seen in any details before in the saga-looking both realistic in it's natural life and environment and as a part of George Lucas’s CLONE WARS universe… Jason may have been a little stretched over three episodes, but this was a glorious visual treat (life and movement underwater, and the way the picture quality was softened with use of bubbles and water spray, cleverly adding depth to the underwater illusion), accompanied by spectacular visual action scenes (the attack for the enemy hadroid Medusas, the underwater whirlwind battle-the return of those floppy eared action heroes, the Gungans) that certainly kept the story afloat (excuse the pun!) and made the most of this new backdrop and its exotic other worldly locations and creatures, once again going beyond what we’ve seen before in the series: it was kinda like a STAR WARS version of the classic Sean Connery BOND film Thunderball. Seeing the world of Mon Calamari and its diverse lifeforms (male and female) was fun-especially Captain Ackbar, who was brilliantly realized and vocally performed, and even bearing that cool looking weapon he had from his 1982 KENNER action figure days, too! Nice to see old smiley Kit Fisto leading the charge, Jar Jar Binks, whose clumsiness worked to our heroes advantage within parts of the story (saving Padme with his spit. Ugh! Crude but effective!), and the other brave aforementioned Gungans used effectively in the storytelling process for parts two and three. And on the Clone Trooper front, just how cool were those Aqua troops. Intriguingly, there was much more physical conflict between people and creatures rather than battle droids-some of the death scenes shown quickly on screen between opponents were brutally effective!- a welcome change, more adult in style, and something I hope we see more of in the overall Battle Lines umbrella for this season. Amongst the political intrigue and stellar action taking place, new shark-like villains Tamsus, was a perfect baddie to boo and hiss at for audiences of all ages, and the perfect opposite to the types of friendly Carcarion Carcarias we’ve seen in the likes of animated movies like FINDING NEMO (I loved the scene where it fixed its jaws after receiving a blow from Kit Fisto-a quirky but in-character moment like that which reminds us why this series is so good). This was a totally aggressive animal finning his way into an instinctive killing spree in his battle with our Republic heroes, showing particular zeal in his pursuit of his Jedi enemies and the young Mon Calamari King Char-free. The final action scene between them reminded me of the Chief Brody/ shark conflict finale of Spielberg’s seminal JAWS.

Overall, this fourth season has gotten off to a winning start and bodes well for the rest of the year. AFICIONADO RATING: 4 out of 5

EPISODE FOUR: SHADOW WARRIOR Writer: Daniel Arkin Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell Made in Production Order: Season 3 Episode 19 First US Transmission: September 30th 2011 First UK Transmission: April 5th 2012 Story: When the leader of the Gungans, Boss Lyonie, is injured it's discovered there is an uncanny resemblance between the Boss and Jar Jar Binks. Binks must sway his people from rising against the Naboo and stopping a Separatist invasion led by General Grievous. Review: For a story that should have, indeed started off quite lightweight and smaller scale (in comparison to the previous Mon Calamari saga), what with the Gungans and another appearance from comedic Jar Jar (whose canny impersonation of the injured Bos saved Naboo from a new civil war), this episode, which had some very nice development of Naboo and Otah Gunga as seen in EPISODE ONE, surprisingly evolved into a quite dark place halfway through, with more welcome, bleak and violent moments. The scene where the Gungans, led by the brave General Tarpals, took on a smug and completely outwitted General Grievous was handled extremely well, whilst brave Tarpals death from the Droid general’s lightsaber, was also genuinely upsetting and a tribute to his bravery and courage against such a vicious and evil foe-another great STAR WARS hero supporting character has now lost to us in this continuing conflict. The duel between the outmatched Anakin and Count Dooku was also dramatic and full of visual ingenuity, with our Jedi’s capture and prisoner exchange for the restrained, battle damaged Grievous effectively conveying to viewers a very genuine sense of frustration for Padme and her people at having to let such a dangerous force back out into the universe. Another mature theme taking the series up a further notch in quality.

Continuing George Lucas visual and story nods to the film work of famed Japanese director Kurosawa, SHADOW WARRIOR was an interesting mix of comedy and drama, and another noteworthy entry in the series so far. Family viewers worried that the show may be getting too dark will be relieved to hear that the next two adventures featuring Artoo and Threepio should restore some fun and whimsy back into the series... AFICIONADO RATING: 3.5 out of 5

EPISODE FIVE: MERCY MISSION Writer: Bonnie Mark Director: Danny Keller Made in Production Order: Season 3 Episode 20 First US transmission: October 7th 2011 First UK transmission: April 6th 2012 Story: After ground quakes have devastated the planet Aleen, a Republic relief effort arrives, including the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO. When the native Aleena's pleas go unheard, it becomes the duty of the droids to embark on a surreal journey through Aleen's subterranean world to save the planet. Review: A rather bizarre but family friendly outing for the lovable droids, as Anthony Daniels returns to put the flavor of STAR WARS back into the series for the younger audiences as golden protocol droid See-Threepio. It’s the weakest entry of the season, but it does have some lovely animation and bumbling heroics for our droids (especially Artoo-always the smarter one in the pairing), which make this acceptably watchable. AFICIONADO RATING: 2.5 out of 5

EPISODE SIX: NOMAD DROIDS Writer: Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle

Director: Steward Lee Made in Production Order: Season 3 Episode 21 First US transmission: October 14th 2011 First UK transmission: April 9th 2012 Story: C-3PO and R2-D2's bizarre caper continues. Forced to escape a Separatist attack in a Y-wing fighter, the droids visit the world of the Patitites, the odd planet Balnab, and the inside of a pirate warship where they are forced to fight in a gladiatorial arena. Review: More droid fantasy from writers Mitchell and Sickle who penned last year’s fun tale, Evil Plans, for the droids. I personally found this a much more enjoyable tale than Bonnie Mark’s previous outing, and liked the way the separated pair’s chaotic and diverse adventures took them to a variety of places before ultimately sending them back to the place where it all began for them, much to the annoyance of the many Cone Troopers who thought they’d lost them for good! Some nice humour, and visuals, this quirky runabout was a lively and picturesque kind of homage/kaleidoscope to their eighties DROIDS series. AFICIONADO RATING: 3 out of 5

EPISODE SEVEN: DARKNESS ON UMBARA Writer: Matt Michnovetz Director: Steward Lee Made in Production Order: Season 3 Episode 25 First US Transmission: October 28th 2011 First UK Transmission: April 10th 2012 Story: When Anakin is forced to temporarily turn over command of his clone troopers to a new commander, the Jedi Pong Krell, tensions begin to run high as the clones are assigned with a very deadly mission to take the capital of Umbara.

EPISODE EIGHT: THE GENERAL

Writer: Matt Michnovetz Director: Walter Murch First US transmission: November 4th 2011 First UK transmission: April 11th 2012 Made in production order: Season 3 Episode 26 Story: General Krell orders Captain Rex and the clone troopers of the 501st Legion to conquer a heavily fortified Umbaran airbase, and will not accept anything less than victory. It is an almost certain suicide mission, unless the clones can use their ingenuity to defeat their new enemy.

EPISODE NINE: PLAN OF DISSENT Writer: Matt Michnovetz Director: Kyle Dunlevy Made in Production Order: Season 4 Episode 1 First US transmission: November 11th 2011 First UK transmission: April 12th 2012 Story: After the Republic conquers an Umbaran airbase, General Krell orders Rex and his men on towards the heavily fortified capital. Realizing there's a better plan, several clone troopers disobey orders to carry out a rogue, covert operation.

EPISODE TEN: CARNAGE OF KRELL Writer: Matt Michnovetz Director: Kyle Dunlevy Made in Production Order: Season 4 Episode 2 First US transmission: November 18th 2011 First UK transmission: April 13th 2012

Story: With two of his men facing execution for disobeying orders, Captain Rex must confront his overly aggressive commander, General Krell. Risking charges of mutiny, Rex must make a dark choice as the true face of the enemy emerges. Overall story review: The fourth season finally gets its first classic story with the four part Umbrara saga, which, with its shocks and surprises especially in part four, will no doubt have future ramifications for both the Clones, led by indomitable Captain Rex, and the Jedi Knights in the lead-in to EPISODE III. Here Rex and his loyal men are tested to dramatic breaking point by the leadership and tyranny of Jedi General Pong Krell. Well voiced with mighty weight and aggressive bubbling beneath the surface by Dave Fennoy, Krell’s disdain and callous disregard for the Clone Troopers lives proves unsettling for the audiences at times. The besalisk Krell, with his multi-limbed lightsaber action and overbearing style, soon shows no regard or respect for the Clone Troopers-from the moment he starts referring to them as numbers rather than names, cannon fodder in order to achieve his objectives, and the subtle but disturbing scene where he kicks away the body of one of Rex’s fallen - a subtle, shocking hint of his character nature to come- you know things aren’t going to be right here… The early brewing antagonism and frustrations of the clone troopers as they go into battle and get slaughtered in great numbers on the orders of Krell, who never leads from the front, is well developed and the moment where Rex clenches his fist in almost striking his command is a unique moment in the series. Rightly proud of this adventure, actor Dee Bradley Baker excels himself in every way in bringing the many, many supporting clones troopers (Rex, Waxer, Fives, Valiant, etc.) to life in this tale. A reason d’etre for ORDER 66 starts to become apparent with the episodes (witness the way the monotone troopers kill some of the injured Shadowmen), but I still don’t totally buy Lucas’s vision for the troops fully turning against the Jedi by EPISODE III without some kind of genetic control. The king of Clone Trooper storytelling, Matt Michnovitz’s scripts are full of dark incident, dramatic power and stunning action set pieces as they peel back the issue layers of loyalty, honour, trust and integrity, with brotherhood tested amongst dissent, treachery and danger…

The stunning visual wonder of the story also mustn’t be denied- with the overall look of a planet trapped in darkness-the ultimate shade of hell, Umbara is one of the most intriguing and dangerous worlds ever seen in THE CLONE WARS-one that I wish we could have seen for real in a Prequel movie- as our heroic soldiers push on against overwhelming odds to secure vital areas of the planet, whilst treading dangerous vegetation and natural life, as well as the wiles and deadly skills of the alien Shadowmen and their incredibly diverse and intriguing bio mechanical technology. For the most part, this planet siege story holds itself well over four episodes, but the second directed by friend yet newcomer to STAR WARS, Walter Murch, with its stunning battle against the tank-like centipede creatures was incredibly well-directed-exciting and exhilarating, it was certainly one of the most awe-inspiring action openings so far in the entire series. Part Three may have felt a little padded out at times with the odd spark of jarring humour in the raid on the enemy command ship (destroyed in a similar way to Anakin’s skills in EPISODE ONE), but the conclusion, with its lies, betrayals, death (the slaying of Waxer) and the final revelations about Krell and his behavior to the men under his command are the final satisfying icing on the dramatic cake. It was so dramatic, subtly disturbing and interesting to watch that there were times I was forgetting I was watching an animated series. The final scenes with Rex were tense and highly effective, giving the storyline a tragic and very serious game-changing set of consequences for our Clone heroes THEFORCE.NET website quite rightly stated that the bar for the series has been raised ever higher with this adventure. I would totally agree, and so much more. I think THE CLONE WARS has actually outgrown itself as an animated series shown on CARTOON NETWORK. Here was a tale that actually surpassed many live-action drama series, and this story may even prove to be one of the overall series crowning achievement. OVERALL AFICIONADO RATING: 4.5 out of 5 (most notably for parts one and three)

EPISODE ELEVEN: KIDNAPPED

Writers: Henry Gilroy and Steve Melching Director: Kyle Dunlevy Made in Production Order: Season 4 Episode 3 First US transmission: November 25th 2011 First UK transmission: May 14th 2012 Story: Zygerrian slavers are behind the sudden disappearance of an entire colony of people on the planet Kiros. As Anakin and Ahsoka rush to defuse a series of bombs planted by the slavers, Obi-Wan must fight with their imposing leader.

EPISODE TWELVE: SLAVES OF THE REPUBLIC Writers: Henry Gilroy and Steven Melching Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell Made in Production Order: Season 4 Episode 4 First US transmission: December 2nd 2011 First UK transmission: May 16th 2012 Story: To locate the missing colonists, Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka go undercover to infiltrate the slavers on Zygerria. Anakin struggles with his emotions as a wily Zygerrian queen forces him to take questionable actions in order to carry out his mission.

EPISODE THIRTEEN: ESCAPE FROM KADAVO Writer: Henry Gilroy Director: Danny Keller First US transmission: May 6th 2012 First UK transmission: May 17th 2012 Made in Production Order: Season 4 Episode 5 Story: Anakin tries to convince the Zygerrian Queen that she too is a

slave and pawn in an evil Separatist plot. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan toils in the slave camps of Kadavo, a grim situation that grows increasingly bleak. Overall story review: It's a much welcome return to the series for Season One writer/Story Editor Henry Gilroy, who previously helmed so many great STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS tales and helped set the tone for what was to come. His absence as a story-teller was keenly felt by this reviewer… His classic 2008/09 DARK HORSE comic was ripe for spectacular translation in to the animated medium (including some intriguing new snippets of pre-EPISODE ONE galactic history), and here, with Lucas and Filoni, he puts our main heroes in a very difficult and unusual set of circumstances as the series continues delving into deeper, darker, more complex areas- slavery, a subtle part of the first STAR WARS prequel, coming to the fore in this intriguing and often exciting threeparter that holds its own pace-wise throughout and holds its own alongside the previous Umbara storyline. I was perhaps expecting a little bit more character of development of Ahsoka linked to her people being kidnaped and enslaved, but clearly this is Anakin and Obi-Wan ‘s story, and they deserved a bit more of the spotlight at this point in the season, especially Obi-Wan, as played by James Arnold Taylor... This was an adventure with a very dark subject matter for a family show: the master/servant relationship between Anakin and the Zygerrian Queen, who sees him as a handy plaything and superior bodyguard, being the standout. The slavery aspects of Anakin’s life was a storyline that I thought would show more prominence than it actually did within the Prequel Trilogy movies, especially in EPISODE II, when it was first announced that Anakin would be returning to Tatooine, and that his presumably still slaved mother, Shmi, would be making an appearance. This new arc with the Zygerrian slavers, where the Kirosians truly discover the true darkness behind Count Dooku, goes a long way in redressing that imbalance, whilst the chair bound evil of the threatening, deliberately sacrificing slaves to make a point about resistance to Obi-Wan, brings some genuine darkness and cruelty. Suffering in his duties and bravery, poor Obi-Wan-after everything happening to him in this adventure-looks like he’ll be spending a month or two in a Bacta Tank to recover from his ordeal and injuries

with the Zygerrian slavers-a vicious bunch with a major league grudge against the Jedi for destroying their prior millennia established slave empire. That first punch up with Daa the slave in the opening part is brutal enough, but the brutal hardship he suffers alongside Captain Rex within in the Kadavo prison/mining facility also leads to much injure and worse for wear treatment from their jailers. Meanwhile, Anakin’s understandably aggressive tendencies towards the enslavers, linked to his prior history as a slave are heightened and explored by the writers, accompanied by a new variation on the Vader theme from Kevin Kilner that's subtly done. Overall, I feel that this trilogy has some of Kilner’s finest work on the show-it felt like he had more of a chance to breathe and bring more showmanship and adventure to his incidental music. John Williams he ain’t, but there was some great stuff here, nonetheless! These modern Jedi are certainly facing some of their toughest opponents in their duty to free the captured, with some excellent action set-pieces: the Zygerrian whips versus lightsabers fight was excellent, starting off with a triumphant call to arms for our heroes before they are soundly defeated: a complete reverse to the audience triumphing action that follows years later in a similar plan by Luke Skywalker for RETURN OF THE JEDI! In this homage to the past/future, I loved that Artoo actually ended up carrying three lightsabers this time around! Oh to have that trusty little Astro-Droid as a real-life travelling! The Zygerrians world where parts two and three of the story are staged continues the series great pantheon of new planets and civilizations- the humid musty atmosphere of the decadent and belligerent world with the look of Aztec, Egyptian, Moroccan and ancient Rome meshed with the STAR WARS technology, aliens (featuring creatures similar to those seen on Utapau in EPISODE III) and landscapes we know and love. The aforementioned action and adventure are tightly choreographed and exciting in part one, reaching exhilarating levels in the final breathlessly exciting minutes of part three, with some cool STAR WARS moments for our main and supporting characters to shine, especially Rex who has another great Clint Eastwood-esque moment, making sure that the evil slave overlord gets the point of his verbal message, whilst Dave Filoni alter-ego Plo Koon gets to shine with his combat skills leading a fighter squadron attack on Kadavo. Such excitement brings this perilous journey of liberation to an “Impressive.

Most impressive” conclusion. AFICIONADO RATING: 4.5 out of 5

EPISODE FOURTEEN: A FRIEND IN NEED Writer: Christian Taylor Director: Dave Filoni Made in Production Order: Season 4 Episode 6 First US transmission: January 13th 2012 First UK transmission: May 18th 2012 Story: A peace conference between Separatists and Republic delegates is interrupted by Lux Bonteri, the son of a late Separatist Senator, who involves Ahsoka in his dangerous search to find justice for his mother's death. Review: Escaping death and wanting revenge for the death of his Separatist Senator mother, Lux Bonteri, friend to Ahsoka Tano from Season Three, is back, and he’s in big trouble, having foolishly aligned himself with the pariah groups of Mandalorian soldiers, the Death Watch, to strike back at Count Dooku. Up to his head, its up to Ahsoka, her ultimate relationship with the boy in a kind neutral holding pattern story-telling wise, to sort the mess out. But it’s going to be quite a challenge… An enjoyable skirmish battle with the Mandalorians, who have a touch of the Mongol Hordes about them here, with Pre Visla almost acting like a poor man’s Genghis Khan this time out as he and his band cause chaos to Bonteri and ravage a small fry alien world of snowy crystalline. There are some fine moments for both them and Ahsoka’s developing Jedi combat skills for fans to enjoy (including some nifty action around a Landspeeder and a moment where she takes out four Mando’s without even blinking!, all well handled by director Filoni), plus a mini revolt by some rebuilt droids against the chaos making mercenaries, but this popular race of galactic baddies deserves something bigger and better on the horizon than this.

Special kudos to THE CLONE WARS team for selecting the feisty Katee Sackhoff, bringing some of that BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Starbuck edginess and attitude in spades to the role of Death Watch splinter group leader Bo Katan. She only gets a few lines here but she makes the most of them and her animated form is well realized, making a memorable enough mark alongside the decent return of Jon Favreau voicing warrior with a grudge Pre Vizsla, whom she compliments. Overall, it’s nice to see a few more women added to the Death Watch roster, the warriors visually looking more menacing than they did in Season Two (the fire-side scenes with bringing back memories of the classic 1980 Bob Seidemann EMPIRE poster of the flame-throwing Boba Fett). AFICOONADO RATING: An enjoyable if hardly classic 3.5 out of 5

EPISODE FIFTEEN: DECEPTION Writer: Brent Friedman Director: Kyle Dunlevy Made in Production Order: Season 4 Episode 7 First US transmission: January 20th 2012 First UK transmission: May 21st 2012 Story: When the Jedi learn of a Separatist plot to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine, one of them must go deep undercover as a hardened criminal to extract information from the conspirators.

EPISODE SIXTEEN: FRIENDS AND ENEMIES Writer: Brent Friedman Director: Bosco Ng Made in Production Order: Season 4 Episode 8 First US transmission: January 27th 2012 First UK transmission: May 22nd 2012

Story: Fleeing across the galaxy with criminal fugitives, a disguised Obi-Wan, Cad Bane and Moralo Eval are tenaciously pursued by Anakin and Ahsoka, who have no idea they're chasing their friend.

EPISODE SEVENTEEN: THE BOX Writer: Brent Friedman Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell Made in Production Order: Season 4 Episode 9 First US Transmission: February 3rd 2012 First UK transmission: May 23rd 2012 Story: The disguised Obi-Wan accompanies Cad Bane and Moralo Eval to Serenno, where they enlist in a brutal competition with other bounty hunters from around the galaxy to determine who will participate in a plot to kidnap the Chancellor.

EPISODE EIGHTEEN: CRISIS ON NABOO Writer: Brent Friedman Director: Danny Keller Made in Production Order: Season 4 Episode 10 First US transmission: February 10th 2012 First UK transmission: May 24th 2012 STORY: The Chancellor travels to Naboo to preside over a public ceremony, guarded by Jedi Knights. Dooku and his bounty hunters -including an undercover Obi-Wan Kenobi -- launch their kidnapping plot. Overall story review: This would be a dream come true for all fans of the universe of bounty hunters within STAR WARS, what with Cad Bane’s diverse and nicely realized cadre assembled (including hatted great Embo and the Ron Cobb production design from the original STAR WARS finally realized: the octopus-like Parwan) for a secret

mission to capture Palpatine. Cad Bane gets a new look and animated upgrade and a change of hat (though he doesn’t take Indiana Jones’s a nice reference to Lucas’s other universe). As sly and dangerous as ever, whilst Obi-Wan gets to shine in this tale in his disguised form (James Arnold Taylor’s voice heavily disguised in post production). Plus, a nice cameo from Boba Fett and Bossk, still in prison on Coruscant. A true mixture of classic and prequel locations and characters added strongly to the tale, as well as a rare look in to the world of covert operations and infiltration by the Jedi than we’ve ever seen before, amidst a whole load of genre crossing, from PRISON BREAK to other sci-fi films, like the cult nineties hit THE CUBE, all given a satisfying STAR WARS reworking. Overall, The Box, proved the best of the four parts involving the assembled miscreants- a smart twenty-two minutes full of lethal and visual ingenuity that must have been a fun challenge for Filoni and team to realize. As well as aliens old and new, there was also a wide variety of planet zipping, from Serenno, to Nal Hutta (with a groovy cameo from villainess singer Sy Snootles), and more on Naboo (with a nice animated introduction to Oliver Ford Davis’s prequel character of Naboo senator Sio Bibble). It was also time for the writers to sow more of the early seeds of disenchantment by Anakin towards Obi-Wan and the Jedi Council, feeling used and abused about not being told of their secret plan to infiltrate Bane’s group, his anger and frustrations egged on by the quiet yet razor sharp manipulations of scary father-figure Palpatine. But there was also time for him to indulge in some great action, too, alongside his protective Padawan, Ahsoka, from his cornering of Bane, and then the disguised Obi, to the final lightsaber duel with Dooku in and out of Theed Palace. In the end, the Palpatine kidnap plot seemed a trifle insignificant, but that didn’t matter when the final parts closing minutes had such excellent character script work further leading into EPISODE III and some fine scenes for Ian Abercrombie as Palpatine, whose episodes, airing with the news of his passing, make us miss him even more. AFICIONADO RATING: 4 out of 5

EPISODE NINETEEN: MASSACRE Writer: Katie Lucas

Director: Steward Lee Made in Production Order: Season 4 Episode 11 First US Transmission: February 24th 2012 First UK Transmission: May 26th 2012 Story: Count Dooku is determined to have revenge against the Nightsisters of Dathomir after their betrayal. General Grievous launches an all-out droid attack against the magic-wielding witches, and Mother Talzin and Asajj Ventress lead the defense with all the dark powers at their command. Review: No sign of any of our Jedi heroes this week, it's baddies against baddies, and a clash of intriguing physical and ethereal powers power of differing sides in the aptly titled Massacre, as General Grievous and his droid armies go to the mystical world of Dathomir on a seek and destroy mission, to fulfill Count Dooku’s desired vengeance against Mother Talzin and her devoted sisterhood. The use of Talzin and her people’s sympathetic magic, seen in season three, continues intriguingly with this story-a departure from the realms of the Midi-cholrians and the Force, once more from the imagination and talent of series staff-writer Katie Lucas, who handled last years Savage Opress trilogy with great aplomb. Super action scenes unfold throughout this exciting episode- a pure adrenaline rush animation showpiece for the series. Multi-limbed, multi-killing General Grievous is in his best murderous and vindictive element here: the sequence where he/it takes on the army of the dead, with faces that are crosses between skeletons and the Pygmy mummies seen in the THE MUMMY RETURNS, brought back to life by Talzin and her impish voodoo chieftain, prove superb. Prior to Grievous, the scene-stealing creatures make mincemeat out of the enemy Battle Droids and Super Battle Droids sent to the destroy them, unable to adapt to their quickening moves and violent beheadings. Meanwhile, on the flesh and blood side of the Sith attack, Count Dooku has a bit of a hard time coping with his frightening plague spots- I don’t think any type of Clearasil’s going to work on those any time soon!- and almost at the point of death until his General servant effectively stops the punishment. The build up to all this is well handled and it’s nice to see Dooku almost being beaten at his own game by an equally powerful and challenging enemy.

Together again with her sisters, Asajj Ventress leads the battle against her former masters – the imagery alone of her squaring off against Grievous is enough to make you want to see the episode- but even she is ultimately robbed of victory here, ultimately overwhelmed and left alone in the universe, devoid of purpose and angry with her current predicament at the hands of Grievous and Dooku. An interesting and often exhilarating end (for now?) to the Nightsisters story arc, Massacre is another terrific highlight of the season, and continues exemplifying this seasons battle lines drawn theme. AFICIONADO RATING: 4 out of 5

EPISODE TWENTY: BOUNTY Writer: Katie Lucas Director: Kyle Dunlevy Made in Production Order: Season 4 Episode 12 First US transmission: March 2nd 2012 First UK transmission: May 26th 2012 Story: An aimless Asajj Ventress joins a team of bounty hunters under the leadership of young Boba Fett. On an alien world, they undertake a dangerous but profitable mission that tests the limits of their skills, and the strength of Asajj's character. Review: The series evocative use of popular bounty hunters continues, perhaps even more so than during the previous Season Two, as lone warrior Asajj Ventress adapts to her new position as part of a cadre protecting a valuable cargo travelling deep along the energy currents of a subterranean world. Her skills, training and Force powers as a warrior come to the fore against the mysterious Ninja-esque hoodies that want to reclaim their special cargo. At times, the action feels a little bit UNDER SEIGE 2 mixed with a little bit of Kurosawa swordplay and matters of love and honour. Continuing the trend of human enemies fighting each other, the various death scenes were violent but subtly handled for the

younger CARTOON NETWORK audiences… The old and new mix of Bounty Hunters alongside her get to show their abilities well (with another fun cameo featuring Embo on Tatooine), like the impressive multi-blaster swirling robot guardian to Boba Fett, C-21 Highsinger. The inclusion of old favourite Dengar was a nice idea, as was his realization, but the voice work by star cameo Simon Pegg was less successful-he just didn’t work in the role (it was awful, like a cross between a poor man’s Michael Caine and a poor man’s Christian Bale!), and wasn’t memorable enough. A lame duck wasted opportunity and a poor casting choice-a rare mistake for the series. Fortunately, things for Bounty Hunter-to-be Boba Fett were a lot better with this story. He’s growing up and fragments of the personality of the Classic Trilogy version of the character are slowly but surely beginning to come through. He hasn’t got the infamous hat yet, but we’re getting there, and he certainly acquitted himself well in the majority of the episodes fighting scenes, though he’s still not bright enough to be the Boba we know from EMPIRE: outsmarted by Ventress in the episodes closing moments. Ultimately, the “prize” turns out to be some stereotyped Disney characters- a captured princess and the handsome prince doing his best to rescue his beloved- a slightly diminishing revelation to what had been a good first half to the story. Overall, the whole adventure reminded me of a fun short story/interlude you might see in a STAR WARS TALES comic from DARK HORSE... Another animation triumph this season, what with the attention to detail in characters and inventive action within the fun new alien environment- an underground cave system berthed in varying shades of purple- wonderful to look at and rich in background detail whilst the powerful speed train flew by (alongside some very subtle sound design from David Accord), Bounty was certainly a breezy and colourful episode, but by no means a classic. Is this the closure of Ventress character in the series, now that she’s at peace with herself as an individual by the adventures conclusion? Has she now evolved beyond her hatred and need for revenge against Dooku and her Jedi enemies, or is there a further long game being planned by Filoni and co. which is going to propel her destiny nearer towards the final end of the series? Now wealthy, and with new prospects in the Outer Rim it'll be interesting to see if Ventress returns

and what the writers have in store for her next… AFICIONADO RATING: 3.5 out of 5

EPISODE TWENTY-ONE: BROTHERS Writer: Katie Lucas Director: Bosco Ng Made in Production Order: Season 4 Episode 13 First US transmission: March 9th 2012 First UK transmission: May 26th 2012 Story: The dark warrior Savage Opress is on a quest to find his longlost brother. Could Darth Maul truly be alive, after more than a decade since his gruesome bisection at the blade of Obi-Wan Kenobi? Savage voyages into the depths of a twisted planet to find whatever became of the fallen Sith Lord.

EPISODE TWENTY-TWO: REVENGE Writer: Katie Lucas Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell Made in Production Order: Season 4 Episode 14 First US Transmission: March 16th 2012 First UK Transmission: May 26th 2012 Story: Savage and Maul, now reunited, pursue Obi-Wan Kenobi in search of revenge, and the Jedi Knight finds himself forced to unite with a surprising ally to defend against the deadly siblings. Overall review: The return from the dead of the Prequel Trilogy’s most dexterous and vicious Sith Warrior, Darth Maul, impressed many with this two part season finale. But I have to say that, for me personally, the first sight of Maul as a spider length type creature with multilength horns skittering away in the dark caves of his present home, on the brink of insanity with Sam Witwer’s OTT voice acting performance, didn’t blow me away, nor did the opening episodes overall setting- a

junkyard inferno scene that reminded me of the FURY 161 environment of ALIEN 3 mixed with the lightweight kind of family friendly vibe seen in DISNEY’s WALL-E. The idea of the snake, Morley, leading Maul’s brother Savage Oppress to his brother’s discovery-I suppose a homage to The Bible’s Snake in the Garden of Eden- didn’t rock my world either. In general the whole first episode felt uninspired, padded and with very little story material. Fortunately, things improved with episode two. I would have preferred it if Savage Oppress had found the body of Darth Maul unassisted and brought him back to the life with the powers of Mother Talzin rather than his already being alive (just how did Maul survive his slaying? Who put him back together? And who left him on the scrapheap? Nothing was explained). Whereas it looked like Savage/ Ventress plot was over, the series writers proved us wrong once again, in rather more inspired form having the latter team up with Obi-Wan to fight the lethal new duo in the cramped interior of a smuggling vessel. A nice sequence, well written (cute dialogue between them-Asajj and Obi make a great couple!) and handled in its multi-combination lightsaber choreography. Parts of the storyline didn’t ring true for me personally as a long-time STAR WARS fan. The way the two-parter was plotted was just way too full of convenience, as well as the aforementioned unanswered questions. The idea of Obi-Wan going out there alone to face Maul, though dramatic, was pretty incredulous by the Jedi Council, especially as he’s been beaten up so much this season! Not having Anakin in this, as he’d be too powerful a match for the Sith duo and likely kill one of them, was another very noticeable convenience. And being a lethal and efficient killer, surely Maul would have dispensed with Obi-Wan straight away- why would he keep him as an alive trophy? The bitter and twisted Maul, aware of the Clone Wars happening, but not being around to see it was interesting, though his presence diminishes the earlier power and impact that Savage Opress had made in the show’s previous season. Now Savage has become the poor man’s Maul in many respects, which is a shame. A challenge for Katie Lucas to pull off, in some ways I’m happy that Maul’s back- he was great in EPISODE I, and fans loved him –they didn’t want him dead, and saw the potential for him as a regular foe if he had lived. But George original saw to all that and wanted to have a different enemy for each film (a smart move, I thought). Part of me

thinks George should have stuck by his original guns and not capitulated to his or the fans whimsy. Resurrecting the character in one of the VISIONARY comics, outside of any established continuity, is one thing, but having him restored in the world of popular TV animation is something different altogether. The lure of Maul’s popularity obviously proved too great for George. For many his return works, but to me, only just. The sooner they put him back in a cloak and with some proper mechanical legs the better. I really hope that this overtly contrived plotline doesn’t hinder the show in the longterm. Obviously, all this opens up a whole new can of worms for the saga before the events of EPISODE III. Presumably the emergence of Maul will be a threat to Darth Sidious. It will surely be Palpatine’s top priority to have him eliminated. The dangerous qualities of a renegade Maul will surely intensify over the next season or two. If he can cold-bloodedly kill a group of alien natives, just what else will he do to get Obi-Wan and the Jedi’s attentions? And how will his presence interfere with Count Dooku’s plans? An interesting lightsaber duel between all of them could be on the cards. Or how about with cyborg Grievous? As a season ender it wasn’t as satisfying as the two-part Chewbacca story of year three. It didn’t leave a bad taste in my mouth by any means, but with Maul resurrected, please, George, for the sake of continued series credibility, NO MORE! AFICIONADO RATING: A just about reaching 3 out of 5 AFICIONADO OVERALL SEASON RATING: It may not have the zippy fun of earlier seasons, but this solid fourth year of THE CLONE WARS continues to push ahead with diverse characters and action as the behind the scenes team shows new ground visually whilst pumping up the dramatic consequences for our heroes and villains within the STAR WARS Prequel Saga. Lucas, Filoni and co. carefully and critically tread a few vital steps further towards the cataclysm to come that is EPISODE III. The Umbara, Kadavo and Mon Calamari story arcs primarily give this season a pumped up rating to 4 out of 5

SEASON FIVE: A WAR ON TWO FRONTS MAIN PRODUCTION CREDITS Created by and Executive Producer: George Lucas Produced by Cary Silver Supervising Director (including additional dialogue and story material): Dave Filoni Story Editor/ Series Writer: Christian Taylor Supervising writer: Drew Z Greenberg STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS made by LUCASFILM ANIMATION Distributed worldwide by WARNER BROTHERS

VOICE CAST Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano Catherine Taber as Padme Amidala Anthony Daniels as See-Threepio James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi / Plo Koon Dee Bradley Baker as Captain Rex/the Clone Troopers Tom Kane as Yoda/ Series narrator Nika Futterman as Asajj Ventress Corey Burton as Count Dooku

Terrence "TC" Carson as Mace Windu Ian Abercrombie as Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious Tim Curry as Chancellor Palpatine (Episode 20 only) Matthew Wood as General Grievous/Battle Droids/ Artoo Detoo as himself

NOTABLE GUEST VOICE ARTISTS Sam Witwer as Darth Maul (Episodes 1, 14-16) Clancy Brown as Savage Opress (Episodes 1, 14-16) Dave Filoni as Embo (Episode 17-18 and 20) Dee Bradley Baker as the various Clone Troopers Jon Favreau as Pre Vizsla (Episode 14-15) Katee Sackhoff as Bo Katan (Episode 14-16) Clancy Brown as Savage Opress (Episodes 1, 14-16) Angelique Perrin as Adi Gallia (Episode 1) Gwendoline Yeo as various voices Jim Cummins as Hondo (Episodes 1, 5, 7-9) Meredith Salenger as Barriss Offee (episodes 18,19,20) Jason Spisak as Lux Bonteri (Episodes 2- 5) Anna Graves as Duchess Satine (Episodes 15 and 16) Kevin Michael Richardson as Jabba the Hutt (Episode 14) Brian George as Ki-Adi Mundi (Episode 16-18 and 20) Stephen Stanton as Tarkin (Episodes 13, 17, 18 and 20) Note: episode synopsis come from WOOKIEEPEDIA

EPISODE ONE: REVIVAL Writer: Chris Collins Director: Steward Lee Made in Production Order: Season 4, Episode 26 First US transmission date (CARTOON NETWORK): 29/9/2013 First UK transmission date (CARTOON NETWORK): 8/4/13 STORY: Darth Maul and Savage Opress steal a fortune of republic credits, and bribe a squad of pirates to take down a pirate stronghold run by Hondo. They attack Hondo's stronghold but Obi-Wan, accompanied by Jedi Master Adi Gallia, intervene, and in the battle

that follows Savage kills Adi. Hondo ambushes the squad of pirates and wins their loyalty back, while Obi-Wan fights Savage and Maul and injures Savage. The brothers flee to their ship under fire from Hondo and the pirates, but launch the escape pod mid flight as the ship is damaged. Obi-Wan returns to Coruscant, where the Chancellor informs him that the brothers are of no importance compared to the Separatists, and no further action should be taken against them. REVIEW: Brothers in blood, and brothers in spilling blood, Darth Maul and Savage Opress first effort in forging a criminal army fails, but not before bringing down Jedi Knight Adi Gallia (a short but sweet overall series appearance), fighting alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi, when they’re cornered on the almost desert world of Florrum. The presence of Maul in the series is starting to become comfortable, but Revival, a continuance from last season’s Brothers, is not one of the series greatest season openers, though, in some respects, its an improvement on Season Three’s quite sedate Arc Troopers. As the Maul limelight brightens, poor Savage Opress, who had such a magnificent debut two years back, unfortunately begins to pale, coming across like Lennie Small from Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men - a simpleton character alongside the more driven brother in Maul, though Savage obviously retains his statuesque vindictive streak in killing Jedi. Back to fight Obi-Wan, its ultimately his turn to face “The Negotiator”s blade, losing the odd limb to the stunning swordplay of the defiant and singular Obi-Wan- another sign that our Sith wannabe’s time is almost up… Amidst the Force clashing, the episode thankfully saw the return to the series of fan favourite Hondo Ohnaka, who once more gets some great one liners, being "semi speechless" at events playing out around him with those Sith "tattooed crazies" as they wreak havoc on his junkyard planet. Originally planned as a mid-season episode (where it appears on the Blu-ray set, and works better that way) but moved forward to kickstart the season- a decision by Lucas clearly designed to get the series off to a stronger start than the slow-building Onderon saga originally planned, Revival’s action is solid if lacking overall chutzpah. AFICIONADO RATING: 3 out of 5

EPISODE TWO: A WAR ON TWO FRONTS

Writer: Chris Collins Director: Dave Filoni Made in Production Order: Season Four, Episode 15 First US transmission: 6/10/2013 First UK transmission: 9/4/13 STORY: On the Separatist world of Onderon, a group of rebels call for the assistance of the Jedi. Ahsoka, Anakin and Obi-Wan go to train the rebels to fight, and see that former Separatist / Death Watch terrorist Bonteri is among them.

EPISODE THREE: FRONT RUNNERS Writer: Chris Collins Director: Steward Lee Made in Production Order: Season 4, Episode 16 First US transmission date: 13/10/2012 First UK transmission date: 10/4/13 STORY: Ahsoka Tano, now leading the rebels on Onderon, but forbidden to fight, puts their training to use by having them hi-jack an AAT and blow up the main power supply of the Battle Droids.

EPISODE FOUR: THE SOFT WAR Writer: Chris Collins Director: Kyle Dunlevy Made in Production Order: Season 4, Episode 17 First US Transmission: 20/10/2012 First UK Transmission: 11/4/13 STORY: The former King of Onderon is kidnapped from the Rebels and is going to be excecuted by the Droid General and the current king of

Onderon. With no help from the Republic, Ahsoka, Steela, and Lux Bonteri devise a plan to retrieve the King and Steela's brother from the Palace. The rescue succeeds after Ahsoka's intervention. Now knowing the Jedi's involvement, Dooku grows impatient with his underlings. EPISODE FIVE: TIPPING POINTS Writer: Chris Collins Director: Bosco Ng Made in Production Order: Season 4, Episode 18 First US transmission: 27/10/12 First UK transmission: 12/4/13 STORY: The rebels on Onderon struggle to reclaim their home planet because a new Separatist droid general sent by Dooku turns out to be a better strategist than the current Onderonian King. After the Republic and the Jedi High Council refuse to give Ahsoka Tano and the rebels assistance Anakin Skywalker persuades Hondo Ohnaka, Crime Boss of Florrum to supply illegal rocket launchers to the rebels to combat the Separatist's new gunships. Meanwhile the King is killed by the droid general by Dooku's orders. The rebels seem to succeed until Steela; leader of the rebels, nearly falls off of a cliff, prompting Lux Bonteri to try and aid her but just ends up falling himself. So Ahsoka Tano has to rescue both, she rescues Bonteri and is about to rescue Steela when a downed Separatist Gunship fires a missile at her causing Ahsoka to drop Steela to her death. Even with Steela dead, the rebels succeed in taking back Onderon. REVIEW (OVERALL STORY): Here be dragons! Serious themes underlie this interesting but overlong adventure. The thin line between terrorism and rebellion is explored, with echoes of 2012’s problems involving America and Syria (and the debate as to whether the super power should be aiding that country’s rebels), and past mistakes linked to the Vietnam war, as the Jedi and Captain Rex become observers to the small but so-effective Onderon Resistance, Che Guevara-like soldiers living in the jungle, against the Separatists, eventually going on to secretly aid them and supply weapons to their cause against a corrupt planetary government that has sided with Count Dooku.

Writer Chris Collins has fun turning STAR WARS history on its head and giving us some notable role reversals- it’s interesting to see Anakin as a rebel rouser before becoming the ultimate rebel hunter as the demonic Darth Vader- a move that adds another layer to our flawed but powerful character’s Jedi backstory. Its also another slow knife in the back of the Jedi overall, as trust issues concerning them from within the Republic come to the fore- a plot strand gaining greater momentum by the end of the season and series. For the most part, this story is a showcase not only for the Expanded Universe popular world of Onderon and the genesis of what will ultimately be the first Rebel Alliance (with some clever design echoes to Ralph McQuarrie’s design work from RETURN OF THE JEDI), but also for Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano, mostly on her own for the later episodes, though she has the presence of another rebel fighter, the on the run Lux Bonteri (once more voiced by Jason Spisak), to help both her and the people of the Separatist world in getting their house in order. Like Ahsoka, the Lux seen here is also maturing-no longer the weak willed youngster and now a man with a mission, still determined to avenge his mother’s death at the scheming hands of Dooku. His romantic pull to the Jedi has now grown distant, as he finds his admiration's swaying towards Steela, a nicely written part, well-voiced by guest star Dawn-Lyen Gardner, makes an impression and proves to be one of the few new standout characters of the adventure- another welcome heroine for the saga’s animated universe. Other pluses to the story include a new version of one of the series Tactical Droids and some occasional nice touches in action sequences linked to the hard to kill Droidekas. It’s also nice to see the return of simulated cloth with our cloaked Jedi heroes when they arrive in the jungles of Onderon. Expensive for the animation team, but worth it. The final Charge of the Light Brigade-esque sequence showing horses and epic dragons (likely inspired by GAME OF THRONES perhaps?!) in battle against the Separatists (now using EPISODE III red-eyed Droid Gunships) and the corrupt king are nicely handled, as is the next cameo appearance of Hondo ("My, my, is that the time!”, he says scurrying off the planet ASAP after delivering the Resistance’s much needed heavy weaponry!).

Steela’s death ultimately proves a shock and is well handled, as is Ahsoka’s almost fatal wounding from an enemy tank-for a moment, just a moment, the audience is worried that she’ll bite the dust. With a nicely directed first episode, the story ultimately feels too luxurious and padded out- its not until the last episode that the storyline has a genuine sense of threat and high-stakes dramaoverall, the Onderon saga, despite evolved animation, fails to match anything like the epic quality of Season One’s Ryloth trilogy. AFICIONADO RATING: 3 out of 5

EPISODE SIX: THE GATHERING Writer: Christian Taylor Director: Kyle Dunlevy Made in Production Order: Season 4, Episode 22 First US transmission: 3/11/12 First UK transmission: 17/4/13 STORY: Ahsoka and Yoda take a group of younglings to a cave on Ilum to perform a Jedi rite of passage called "The Gathering", where they will each have to face an internal fear or flaw in order to retrieve a lightsaber crystal so they can begin building their own lightsabers.

EPISODE SEVEN: A TEST OF STRENGTH Writer: Christian Taylor Director: Bosco Ng Made in Production Order: Season 4, Episode 23 First US Transmission: 10/11/2012 First UK Transmission: 18/4/13

STORY: While returning to Coruscant with their lightsaber crystals, the younglings are attacked by Hondo who wants to steal their crystals and sell them. Ahsoka must defend the younglings no matter the cost.

EPISODE EIGHT: BOUND FOR RESCUE Writer: Christian Taylor Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell Made in Production Order: Season 4, Episode 24 First US transmission: 17/11/12 First UK transmission: 19/4/13 STORY: With Ahsoka captured by Hondo, the younglings go to Florrum to

rescue her against the wishes of Obi-wan Kenobi. However before he can help the younglings, he is attacked by General Grievous.

EPISODE NINE: A NECESSARY BOND Writer: Christian Taylor Director: Danny Keller Made in Production Order: Season 4, Episode 25 First US transmission: 24/11/12 First UK transmission: 23/4/13 STORY: General Grievous attacks Hondo on Florrum, so Ahsoka and Hondo must make amends in order to survive this encounter. REVIEW (OVERALL STORY): Having caught the enthusiasm of Expanded Universe fans with the Onderon adventures, the series behind the scenes team lock their sights on restoring the series family audience balance for four episodes concentrating on a group of Jedi children, under the tutelage and guidance of Yoda and Ahsoka, and the

trials they undergo to construct their lightsaber and build themselves into a cohesive team of friends. Thankfully, the overall scripts from Christian Taylor don't play down to the kids and are intelligent and speedy- when I first heard that this was going to be a multi-part plot line linked to a group of young Jedi (and a potential side door opening for a future spin-off), I was dubious at best, but this tale actually turned out to be an enjoyable one, though again not a classic- lighthearted but with lots of adventure, before the darkness of the remaining Darth Maul and Mandalore arc. Through two main arcs fused together, there are some clever moments looking into the lives of the diverse group of Jedi Younglings, alongside some lovely references to the original STAR WARS films-the seeker ball of EPISODE IV being one! - and even giving us more of a look at the important and secret Jedi world of Ilum and its immense crystal berthing caves, as seen in the first Genndy Tartakovsky animated series, though looking a little different visually and in contradiction to the past, especially the way the Jedi find the crystals for their lightsabers, to what was established in the previous animated series before EPISODE III, though also presented in a clever way where both versions can be integrated into the overall continuity. Meanwhile, the diversity of the Jedi Padawans is interesting – especially pleasing to see the Wookiee Jedi Gungi amongst them. Part One’s finale, where her comrades finally discover their personal power crystals and complete their sabers is effectively done. Sadly, Master Yoda’s guiding role to them in the story is confined to the opener only, though villainous Hondo and his gang of pirates fare better from the second episode and prove a little more wickedly evil this time out. Again, despite Ahsoka’s worthy presence, a part of me thought that Anakin should have been involved in the story, too, somewhere along the line. It would have given the Jedi Youngling massacre of EPISODE III a dark circular consistency, but his Padawan is now the star of the animated series and the most accessible to youngsters in launching the then planned spin-off (We even get to see a quick flashback linked to the heroine, seeing her as a baby with Plo Koon). For part two, and the transfer of the story and action from Ilum to a Jedi star cruiser, former DOCTOR WHO and geek icon David Tennant effectively voices the faithful Jedi Droid servant, Professor Huyang, in the best Anthony Daniels tradition and proves much better in his casting the UK actor than they did with Simon Pegg as bounty hunter

Dengar in Season Four, and snagging an Emmy award in the process! His character, one of the oldest droids serving the Jedi Order, is nicely realised into visual life by the animation team, based once again on some very early Ralph McQuarrie concept art for the protocol droid in 1975. The stories third part becomes a padded out, but thankfully in a good way with a space battle and Obi-Wan battling Grievous, leading to the droid general’s eventual encounter with the younglings, but as this is his final appearance in the series, it's an enjoyable enough example of his continued antagonism and hatred for old enemy Kenobi and all things Jedi. Back to the kids plot, their travelling under cover within a travelling carnival, in order to rescue Ahsoka from Hondo and his gang, ultimately didn’t generate much enthusiasm from me and felt too lightweight, but their soon rescue of her proves watchable enough. Just when I was starting to think that the storyline was running out of juice by it's fourth episode, a bright and breezy action finale ensues, as Grievous and the Separatists invade Florrum, bringing it to all to an enjoyable close, with Ahsoka getting the chance for a more agile and powerful rematch against Grievous, though once again she only just survives the encounter, with escape thanks to the iconic Slave One, under Hondo’s command, returned to battle glory, fully repaired and guns blazing! So, for a four-episode duration, this was overall better than expected. The right of passage idea was a good one for the series but again a shaved off episode from the plot wouldn’t have hurt it too much. An overall success with family audiences it may have been, but I don’t personally think it would have been overall strong enough as a format to have separate series legs. Nonetheless, an interesting oddity for THE CLONE WARS series. Furthermore, some intriguing production design across this adventure will certainly inspire further great action figures and merchandise, like the wooden Wookiee lightsaber and the new Jedi Republic cruiser. AFICIONADO RATING: 3 out of 5

EPISODE TEN: SECRET WEAPONS

Writer: Brent Friedman Director: Danny Keller Made in Production Order: Season 5, Episode 4 First US transmission: 1/12/12 First UK transmission: 24/4/13 STORY: R2-D2 is part of a team of Republic droids chosen for an important mission led by the diminutive Colonel Meebur Gascon to obtain an encryption module from a Separatist dreadnought. The droids must overcome numerous challenging obstacles to succeed in this crucial assignment.

EPISODE ELEVEN: A SUNNY DAY IN THE VOID Writer: Brent Friedman Director: Kyle Dunlevy Made in Production Order: Season 5, Episode 5 First US transmission: 8/12/12 First UK transmission: 25/4/13 STORY: After their ship crashes on a desolate planet, D-Squad & Colonel Gascon must find a way off to get back to Coruscant, or be stranded forever.

EPISODE TWELVE: MISSING IN ACTION Writer: Brent Friedman Director: Steward Lee Made in Production Order: Season 5, Episode 6 First US transmission: 5/1/13 First UK transmission: 26/4/13

STORY: Colonel Gascon and D-Squad discover that Abafar, the planet they are trapped on, is Separatist-controlled, but they also discover a Republic Clone Commando named Gregor, who has been stranded on the planet as well. They must work together to get off the planet safely.

EPISODE THIRTEEN: POINT OF NO RETURN Writer: Brent Friedman Director: Bosco Ng Made in Production Order: Season 5, Episode 7 First US transmission: 12/1/13 First UK transmission: 30/4/13 STORY: After believing themselves safe, Colonel Gascon and D-Squad discover that they are prisoners of the Separatist in a captured Republic cruiser, finding themselves enmeshed in thwarting a plot to destroy a Republic space station holding a strategic conference. REVIEW (OVERALL STORY): Small size, big ambition! Heroism comes in all shapes and sizes in the next four-parter, as heroic STAR WARS favourite Artoo Detoo and a group of multicoloured Astro Droid, led by an ideas above his station general and an over-eager droid, have to infiltrate enemy lines, steal a vital piece of Separatist technology, then come back in one piece! I acknowledge that the writers must have felt that a whole storyline involving a group of bleeping/blooping Artoo’s on their own, with no real speech patterns, might be less dramatic than normal- hence the additional need for two quirky love ‘em or hate ’em new characters to exchange humorous dialogue around them, but I disagreed with their actions- Artoo and chums had enough character appeal to win over audiences and prove perfect for an overall visualist series, whilst pursuant baddies and other supporting characters around them could easily have shored up the narrative in other ways. Obi-Wan and Anakin may have been worthy of use in the adventure somewhere before their ultimate final episode appearance, to help the droids on and off, speeding the plot further along. That said, the actual first episode, Secret Weapons, has a good plot

from Brent Friedman and proves quite snappily paced, as our heroes infiltrate a Sep cruiser and steal a viral data chip, but the inclusion of the aforementioned new characters, the dedicated pit droid pilot WAC47 and the even smaller, miniature alien Colonel Meebur (as in amoeba) Gascon often irritate, coming across as unwanted rejects from the STAR TOURS ride- another example of THE CLONE WARS family friendly factor. I have no problem with that for the most part, but the creation of this duo was perhaps a bit too far and too zany for my tastes, of which I felt that the series was starting to lose its sophistication a little bit. Artoo, with his heroic reliability and talents in holding onto secret knowledge, does get some crowd-pleasing action, though- in another one to one battle against a member of his own kind: a lethal Tactical Droid, in another exciting sequence- taking it out with flying pyrotechnical skills. Part Two unfortunately sees things take a nose-dive in story quality, as the droids crash their shuttle after a run-in with a comet storm (again very STAR TOURS!), finding themselves on a desert planet and lost in a wilderness, amidst lots of story padding. Some of the building mild comedy moments equally fell flat on their face in one of the most disappointing episodes yet in this normally high quality series. I thought that the previously considered fan dispiriting episodes of Threepio and Artoo last season were far better than this one. Thankfully, the situation picks up with part three, Missing in Action, and the discovery of amnesiac Clone Commando Gregor, missing believed dead, who, thanks to the gang, regains his memory and helps them escape on an orbit parked Republic cruiser. The idea of this lone clone commando brings weight to a story that really needed it, though his supposed “death” in the firefight against overwhelming Battle Droids and Super Battle Droids is a waste. Additionally, part three’s inclusion of a few nice Classic Trilogy aliens is a welcome bonus, including a memorable appearance from a Sullustian cook who uses Gregor as a kitchen slave. The final part of this all too long adventure, Point of No Return, ends the story with a great big bang, literally- nicely directed by Steward Lee and starting with a brief hint of mystery as the droids arrive to find the Republic vessel empty, and on automatic control, leading to Artoo once more in action, against the first appearance of small but lethal Buzz Droids in an excellently realized sequence, the enemy literally in

their thousands, causing havoc as our heroes have to prevent the loaded with explosives ship from destroying a top secret meeting of Jedi and Republic forces, with Anakin, Obi-Wan and Tarkin amongst its populace (the latter in a nice little role, with greater prominence to come the season), resulting in one of the most spectacular explosions ever witnessed in an animated or live action series. AFICIONADO RATING: 3 out of 5

EPISODE FOURTEEN: EMINENCE Writer: Chris Collins Director: Kyle Dunlevy Made in Production Order: Season 5, Episode 1 First US transmission: 19/1/13 First UK transmission: 1/5/13 STORY: Darth Maul and Savage Opress form an alliance with the Mandalorian terrorist group Death Watch and several crime syndicates, including Black Sun, the Pyke Syndicate, and the Hutt Cartel, in order to destroy all of their common enemies.

EPISODE FIFTEEN: SHADES OF REASON Writer: Chris Collins Director: Bosco Ng Made in Production Order: Season 5, Episode 2 First US transmission: 26/1/13 First UK transmission: 2/5/13 STORY: Maul's alliance helps the Death Watch and their leader, Pre Vizsla, conquer Mandalore and imprison Duchess Satine, but, when Vizsla's ambitions surface, how long will the alliance last?

EPISODE SIXTEEN: THE LAWLESS

Writer: Chris Collins Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell Made in Production Order: Season 5, Episode 3 First US transmission: 2/2/13 First UK transmission: 3/5/13 STORY Having assumed control over a majority of the Death Watch after killing Vizsla in a duel, Maul proceeds to lure Obi-Wan Kenobi to Mandalore with news of Satine's capture. However, the hostile takeover captures the attention of Darth Sidious, Maul's former master, who travels to Mandalore to take care of the rogue Sith brothers. Sidious kills Savage and takes Maul prisoner, hinting that he has a sinister plan in mind. REVIEW (OVERALL STORY): The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Villains of the universe unite, whether they want it or not, as the resurrected Maul and Savage Opress awake from space deep freeze by bloodthirsty mercenaries Death Watch, where, together, they hatch a grand scheme to incite terror on the Republic via the conquest of Mandalore and the thousands of systems within its neutral empire. Death Watch think they have the advantage, but Savage and Maul, enjoying this new fertile ground in which to thrive, are dangerous beyond belief. Now, finally, the show is getting back on top form with Eminence, and what form this episode is-easily one of the series greatest, featuring some fascinating input from Lucas, who ultimately came up with the idea of the Maul alliances. The story has the kind of epic scope and character battles that STAR WARS fans imaginations could only enjoy in playing action figures, video games or Top Trumps cards. Cleverly not having a Jedi hero in sight within its 22 minute duration, the series diverse range of villains get the spotlight: Bounty Hunters, Sith, Death Watch, the Hutts and the first appearance of the popular Black Sun criminal empire- quite a considerable challenge to bring together, pulled off with aplomb by writer Chris Collins. Skillfully directed by Kyle Dunlevy, it was one of the fastest episodes of the series, of which so much was happening. Zipping through the universe in the best tradition of the STAR WARS

movies, it was great to see the volcanic planet return of Mustafar once more (a true hotbed of evil prior to EPISODE III, for a quick takeover of the Black Sun organisation and a quick series of beheadings), action on Nal Hutta, as Savage kills a Hutt, then onto Tatooine and making Jabba’s Palace a battle damaged wreck. Plus new alliances with the ambitious alien smugglers, the Pikes. Caught in the battle to protect the Hutts, popular bounty hunters Dengar (thankfully silent, and without Simon Pegg!), Suki, Embo, and all have a great piece of the action pie, as do the Mandalorian pilots, Katee Sackhoff’s sexy Bo Katan and her flying warrior women, letting the explosive fireworks fly. A terrific visual palette makes fine use of the established environs and characters of the last five years whilst Kevin Kilner provides suitably menacing music moments, like the variation on the EPISODE I Sanskrit choir theme for Duel of the Fates, for Maul and Opress on Nal Hutta. Eminence was a very satisfying episode and a major highlight. Revenge and destruction the renegade Sith way continues apace with Shades of Reason, as the Death Watch take control of Mandalore through a clever ruse but under-anticipate the power and pure evil of Darth Maul, as a new colour co-ordinated civil war breaks out between the mercenaries. A bone crunching, teeth smashing lightsaber duel between the soon late Pre Vizsla (Jon Favreau) and a back to form Maul proves to be another one of the series finest action sequences. But there’s even better to come… Continuing the fine work of Eminence, the aforementioned clever takeover of Mandalore is well handed but it feels too rushed in placesChris Collins scripting here doesn't quite feel as sophisticated as his first episode’s evil empire battles. Continuity-wise, its good to see government baddie Almarec back, once again voiced by Julian Holloway, plus some further nice moments of action savagery for Savage Opress to swing his lightsaber blades during his penultimate appearance. And goodbye Pre-Vizsla, it's been nice knowing you. But that's what happens when you underestimate the Sith.

Finally, the kind of epic Mandalore adventure we've been waiting for and deserve- the sins of the earlier, weak Season Three adventures on their planet almost forgiven (with The Academy’s young students getting a respectable finale appearance with the following episode), things in their domed universe will never be the same again... And so the chessboard pieces are assembled and the game begins. The prior season trailers skillfully whetting our appetites for the end move: The Lawless, presenting the incredible duel between Darth Sidious and Sith Throne pretenders Maul and Opress. There can be only be two Sith at any one time, and Sidious makes that fact all the more clear to them, delivering one hell of a staggering backwards lightsaber whammy that slays Savage Oppress and leaves Maul a quivering, electrified wreck begging for mercy by episodes end. The choreography and animation moves of their three-way duel, a reverse of the heroic drama of Jedi versus Sith in EPISODE I, are stunning. There's no Help the Aged sticker needed for old guy Sidious, as he completely annihilates his prey in the finest Dark Side moment of the Prequel Saga in animation form. It’s finally great to see the character in the flesh after years as a hologram, whilst Ian Abercrombie’s final episode for the series shows the actors excellence in capturing the pure evil and menace of the character, alongside a cruelly playful streak which we’ve come to expect over the years. Despite my unhappiness with Maul’s overall return last season, he’s once again well placed in Season Five events and Chris Collin’s supercharged final episode- his slaying of Duchess Satine securing his animated wickedness- so its another great shame that his final fate as the planned tool of Sidious' will is now likely never to be revealed. Things are just as bad for our venerable Obi-Wan Kenobi, unable to get the Jedi or Republic’s help, his unlucky streak linked to Mandalore continues, going off on a failed solo mission to rescue the captured, soon dead in front of his eyes, Duchess Satine. Likewise, Anakin’s once trusty, now seriously run down and literally falling apart vessel, the Twilight, comes a cropper- soon disintegrating in the flames of battle against a fraction of Death Watch controlled by Maul, with their nifty red-coated insignia. The ultimate love of Obi-Wan’s life she may have been, but I wasn’t the greatest fan of the Satine character in the series, though the aftermath of her shocking death is sensitively handled, and it's a genuinely sad moment when Obi cradles her as she tells him that she’s

always loved him. Aw, bless… Epic ground and air battles within the city blaze on, intensified with Satine’s passing, and prove an equal animation triumph opposite the Sith duel. With the end of the series approaching, we’re also now denied the final fate of Mandalore. We assume the Republic forces did indeed go on and take the world as Bo Katan, now revealed as the late Satine’s sister, predicts to a departing Kenobi-let’s hope a comic series or novel wraps this all up. But, with all the unresolved plotlines brewing, is it still wise to consider the series as fully cannon to the live action movies? AFICIONADO RATING: 4.5 out of 5

EPISODE SEVENTEEN: SABOTAGE Writer: Charles Murray Director: Brian Kalin O’Connell Made in Production Order: Season 5, Episode 8 First US Transmission: 9/2/13 First UK transmission: 4/5/13 STORY: After Ahsoka manages to rescue Anakin from certain peril on Cato Neimoidia, the two are called back to Coruscant from the front lines to investigate a terrorist bombing at the Jedi Temple.

EPISODE EIGHTEEN: THE JEDI WHO KNEW TOO MUCH Writer: Charles Murray Director: Danny Keller Made in Production Order: Season 5, Episode 9 First US transmission: 16/2/13 First UK transmission: 4/5/13 STORY: After Ahsoka manages to rescue Anakin from certain peril on Cato Neimoidia, the two are called back to Coruscant from the front

lines to investigate a terrorist bombing at the Jedi Temple.

EPISODE NINETEEN: TO CATCH A JEDI Writer: Charles Murray Director: Kyle Dunlevy Made in Production Order: Season 5, Episode 10 First US Transmission: 23/2/13 First UK Transmission: 4/5/13 STORY: While on the run in the underworld of Coruscant, pursued by Republic authorities, Ahsoka makes a deal with Asajj Ventress to find out who the actual murderer of Letta Turmond really is, leading the two to come to terms with each other in spite of their antagonistic pasts. However, will the real perpetrator's machinations cast such an alliance into doubt?

EPISODE TWENTY: THE WRONG JEDI Writer: Charles Murray Director: Dave Filoni Made in Production Order: Season 5, Episode 11 First US transmission: 2/3/13 First UK transmission: 4/5/13 STORY: Prosecution begins for Ahsoka in the High Courts after the Jedi Council expels her from the Jedi Order. As Padmé fights to prove Ahsoka's innocence, Anakin searches for information hoping to relieve Ahsoka of her charges and find the truth behind the crimes against the Jedi Order and the Republic. REVIEW (OVERALL): Finally, Anakin Skywalker is back in the series, and once more in partnership with Ahsoka, for the beginning of the series final tale: a tense and vital sky-battle conflict of which our

Padawan shows how much she has grown in her abilities and attitudes as a Jedi, saving his life in an exciting opening sequence. Kevin Kilner’s music for the series and his themes, especially for Ahsoka, re-emerge here and for the rest of the four-parter, alongside some of John Williams iconic work, too. The scores sound bigger and grander, too, in a reunion with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (something that Kilner himself mostly paid for out of his own pocket!). The nods to the visual universe of the live-action films also continue, as the series animation seeing gets ever nearer to EPISODE III- notice the first appearance of the new Jedi Star fighters, the return of the Buzz Droids and the environments of the Cato Neimoidia bridge planet. After vitally re-establishing our main duo’s relationship, we then make a welcome return to the galaxies main seat of power-Coruscantthough we've now reached a point where its becoming a police state, with rebellion by the people against the never ending civil war now reaching critical mass- the Jedi bearing the main brunt of hostile public opinion and rising unrest, leading to the Jedi Temple’s sudden bombing and a CSI-like forensics investigation (right down to a droid version of David Caruso’s iconic Horatio Caine) swiftly underway (I liked the severed hand of the suicide bomber-another entry to the long list of lost STAR WARS character body parts!), though it isn’t long before the possibility of it being the handiwork of a rogue Jedi, at first ruled out, soon starts to see the cold light of reality… Charles Murray script shows maturity and builds on the kind of storyline last seen with Season Two’s Coruscant intrigue drama (where the lights went out), and building on the planets almost police state atmosphere-a plot element to EPISODE III that didn’t quite make it to the screen. Its always nice to see a bit more of the Jedi Temple, too, despite the doom and gloom of the intriguing funeral service they give to their fallen comrades, and a nice cameo appearance from Jedi Master Cin Drallig-voiced by Robin Atkin Downes: a deserved tribute to the Prequel series excellent Stunt Coordinator, Nick Gillard. Anakin’s friend, his pupil, now under suspicion- her duties and honour to the Jedi and the Republic incredulously in doubt, Part Two ramps up the tension and suspicions gathering around poor Ahsoka with the arrival of the snidey Tarkin and her being framed for the murder of the bombing suspect in prison via a powerful Force choke worthy of Darth Vader. With Anakin powerless to help her (as well as Obi-Wan also pretty much excluded from the plot), Ahsoka soon has no choice but to

prove her innocence on her own, making a desperate escape amongst atmospheric dark clouds and rainfall from the Clone prison facility in another one of the seasons best action sequences, dodging pursuant Clone forces (including EPISODE III’s Oddball!), outrunning mastiffs and avoiding stun blasts the way Princess Leia couldn’t, culminating in a cornered, and heated, exchange of words between her and her master (showing shades of the Darth Vader theme about him as the resentment of his Padawan’s situation grows) as she makes a jump, in the best Harrison Ford/THE FUGITIVE tradition, into the labyrinth of crime that is Coruscant’s immense level 13:13 underworld. The concept of trust and Anakin not wanting to lose a loved one are obviously vital elements of his psyche by EPISODE III and this all acts as a nice prelude to that. His search for his on the run Ahsoka in Part Three becoming another intriguing role reversal of his later hunt for the remaining Jedi in the form of Darth Vader. Getting deeper into the mire, with an enemy that seems to know her every move, her brief team-up with the liberated Asajj Ventress adds to the intrigue within 1313. By Part Four, the evidence against Ahsoka gets worse and worse, framed still further, and overwhelmingly prescient enough to see her severely punished. The return of her friend and war comrade, popular Jedi healer Barriss Offee, seemed a given after their successful pairing in Season Two’s Geonosis arc. So, by making her a baddie, proved a surprising yet sensible idea by Murray and the writing team, though the clues of what was to come with her had been subtly signposted during the early stages of Part Two. Captured, the show trial of a Jedi, one so loyal as Ahsoka, shows us that the series has now gotten back its sophistication, and its nice to see Padme return to the series after such a long absence (a shame she couldn’t have been slotted into the story a little earlier), this time squaring up to Tarkin and defending the Jedi within a John Barry/ Ralph McQuarrie court-room area production design tribute set that goes all-out to be immense and impressive. Portraying justice’s seemingly incorruptible guardian, it must have been a difficult job taking over from Ian Abercrombie’s excellent vocal performance as Sidious/Palpatine, but Tim Curry handles the reins well, and I think he would have made a bigger and more pleasing impression with fans if the planned and voice recorded Season Six had been animated in its entirety…

As one fight for justice begins, another goes on in and outside of the Jedi temple, with the thrilling lightsaber duel between Anakin (two sabered once more, whilst getting some pre-Vader aggression off his chest!) and the revealed Barriss outside the confines of the Templeintriguing to see the temple guards with their white double lightsabers getting caught in the drama. As a healer, Offee’s actions, once revealed, seem out of character at first but are ultimately understandable in the long-term and with the backdrop of EPISODE III looming- her end statement of the Jedi having been used by the dark side, and as living weapons, proving painfully accurate. And so we come to Ahsoka’s final scenes. Poorly treated and abandoned by the Jedi Order, her distinctive braid removed from her with her arrest for sedition, Ahsoka’s higher-powered superiors (even friend and mentor Plo Koon) are arrogant enough to assume that she’ll return to them after her ordeal. Or her “trial” as they now like to call it. Think again- anybody who's suffered that kind of abuse and emotional torment, even a young Jedi, is going to say stick it, and if it was Anakin in his Vader persona he'd have probably killed ‘em all for it! Bringing this important character arc to a so far on-screen end, it was only right that one of her creators-Dave Filoni- would handle her allimportant finale, in a script of emotion and subtle pain-the fade to black sign-off and the use of her distinctive theme being a striking end note to all that had gone before: her fate now up in the air and undecided- a hoped for brave demise during ORDER 66, or at the hands of Darth Vader a scenario so wanted by many adult fans- now unlikely to happen. Think of her rather than being permanently taken off the chessboard, as simply being put to one side for a future key strategy. Such is the inevitability that she’ll return somewhere in the STAR WARS universe, most likely in novel and video game form, and with renewed vigour, or with the possibility to make a key appearance in STAR WARS: REBELS... With the DISNEY takeover deal being made as the season was coming to its behind the scenes completion, the overall destiny of the series was tragically stopped shy of going into the opening events of Revenge of the Sith, with no renewal planned beyond Year Five. The long-term goals for our characters are for the most part scuttled. It’s disappointing that, when Lucas quit, he didn’t secure the series future with Disney for at least one more full season wrap-up.

Still, this climactic Jedi tale, alongside other elements of the previous four seasons, proved a major step towards the dark intensity of the final Prequel chapter and overall proved a very satisfying end to a mixed bag season. AFICIONADO RATING: 4 out of 5 A FINAL WORD ON THE FINAL SEASON Starting off with a relatively weak batch of opening adventures compared to previous seasons, this unexpectedly final run of THE CLONE WARS redeems itself by year’s end with eight superb episodes, showing DISNEY what a big mistake it made in not continuing the series towards its planned seven season run. The landmark, innovative series with its ground-breaking animation and bold storytelling may have departed the airwaves, but its quality legacy within the STAR WARS universe will certainly not be forgotten by its millions of dedicated fans worldwide… The upcoming 2014 STAR WARS: REBELS series now has a helluva lot to live up to! AFICIONADO OVERALL SEASON RATING: 3 out of 5